


Breaking This Cycle

by JolinarJackson



Series: Lights To Guide You Home [6]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-05 21:22:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16818694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JolinarJackson/pseuds/JolinarJackson
Summary: Ned didn’t want Peter to feel guilty, as much as he sometimes wished that things would go back to how they used to be. Back to when he didn’t have to cross half the city to see his best friend, back to when they could be out in the open without Peter constantly on alert, without people harassing him. He wondered whether it would ever die down, whether there would ever be a point in time when people would stop caring.He hoped for Peter’s sake it would come soon.As Peter struggles with the negative side effects of becoming Tony Stark’s son, Tony still aims to be a better father than Howard ever was to him, all the while trying to reign in his fear of losing Peter to the system. Meanwhile, the new mayor decides to make New York the first US city to implement the Registration Act for enhanced humans and work closely with neighborhood vigilantes while he’s at it. His first target: The criminals using alien tech to rob ATMs in Queens and Brooklyn.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> _Setting:_ sometime after _Captain America – Civil War_ , _Spider-Man - Homecoming_ never happened
> 
> _Author's Note:_ I know this took ages. I feel guilty. But I was hit by a massive writer’s block and general bout of depression and didn’t feel motivated to do anything at all. But I’m back now. :)  
> Other than previously announced, this is not the last part of the series. This is basically setting up some things that I will need for the big finale, which will definitely wrap everything up. I will also try to get that one done faster. :)
> 
> _Beta:_ putmymusiconshuffleidareyou, who I probably annoy a lot. :) Thank you!

**JULY 2017**

_Fri, July 7, 09:34 AM_

**Peter:**  
How’s the vacation? 

**Ned:**  
It’s Wyoming. It’s the countryside. There is NOTHING to do around here.

**Peter:**  
:D

**Ned:**  
If you don’t hear from me for a day or so, just assume that I’m lost in the mountains forever. How’s life at home? 

**Peter:**  
I’m spending more time at Stark Industries but other than that, same old.

**Ned:**  
I wish you were here, dude. 

**Peter:**  
That would be awesome. 

_Sat, July 8, 07:42 PM_

**Peter:**  
Mr. Stark gave me one of his old suits today. 

**Ned:**  
ARE YOU SERIOUS??? 

**Peter:**  
Yeah, he said it’s mine. I can do with it whatever I want. As long as I don’t take it out of the workshop.

**Peter:**  
It’s pretty banged up, though. 

**Ned:**  
Still. Mind blown. 

_Mon, July 10, 09:34 PM_

**Peter:**  
I haven’t heard from you for over 24 hours. Should I be worried?

_Tue, July 11, 04:33 AM: 1 missed call from Peter_   
_Tue, July 11, 04:53 AM: 1 missed call from Peter_   
_Tue, July 11, 05:12 AM: 1 missed call from Peter_   
_Tue, July 11, 05:16 AM: 1 missed call from Peter_   
_Tue, July 11, 05:21 AM: 1 missed call from Peter_

_Tue, July 11, 05:32 AM_

**Peter:**  
Did your mom change her number? 

**Peter:**  
I need it, please. 

_Tue, July 11, 09:10 AM_

**Peter:**  
It says the number is no longer active. As soon as you get this, please send me your mom’s number.

_Tue, July 11, 12:35 PM_

**Peter:**  
May’s in hospital. 

_Tue, July 11, 01:22 PM: 1 missed call from Peter_   
_Tue, July 11, 03:12 PM: 1 missed call from Peter_   
_Tue, July 11, 06:43 PM: 1 missed call from Peter_

_Tue, July 11, 06:52 PM_

**Peter:**  
I don’t know what to do. I think they’re gonna call CPS. 

_Tue, July 11, 10:47 PM_

**Peter:**  
Never mind. Mr. Stark’s picking me up.

_Wed, July 12, 08:21 AM_

**Peter:**  
Ned?

_Wed, July 12, 11:26 AM_

**Peter:**  
May is dead.

_Thu, July 13, 12:56 AM_

**Peter:**  
Ned.

_Thu, July 13, 12:58 AM_

**Peter:**  
Please.

_Sat, July 15, 12:59 AM_

**Peter:**  
I’m scared.

***

**MARCH 2018**

Ned had never realized just how much his day depended on Peter being there until he just … wasn’t. When the new school year had started, Peter hadn’t returned to Midtown High. His locker was soon taken by somebody who had transferred from another school and instead of Peter, other students settled into the empty seat next to Ned during class. 

It was almost as if Peter had never been there. 

And even though Ned knew that Peter was just fine and merely attending a different school now, he couldn’t help but feel sad. Sad about Peter losing May, sad about Peter moving away, sad about Peter being in Manhattan while Ned was in Queens, sad that they were no longer separated by just a few blocks, but a few blocks and a river and then again a few blocks. There were no Lego session in the evening anymore, no quick trips to the mall or the movies after school, no unplanned visits. Instead, there were Skype sessions which weren’t the same as really sitting across from each other, and actually seeing each other took planning in advance. 

It wasn’t that Ned was lonely. He spent more time with MJ these days and sometimes, they would get together with Abraham and Cindy, even Liz. It was almost a shame how they had only gotten closer after Peter was gone. Then again, Ned sometimes wondered whether Peter leaving had been a trigger for them to hang out more, since they were the ones on the team who felt Peter was missing, while others were indifferent and Flash and Sarah even downright glad. The scathing remarks about how Peter was now a spoiled rich kid had stopped after the first month, though, mainly because Liz had put a stop to it.

Sometimes, the others asked how Peter was doing. 

There were days, like today, when Ned wasn’t sure what to tell them.

”Oh my God,” a girl close-by gasped and Ned barely had time to figure out what she was so amazed about before Peter was gone from his side. Ned turned to find that a brunette girl their age had twisted her fingers into the sleeve of Peter’s hoodie and peered at him curiously before turning to her blond friend, grinning in excitement. ”It’s _him_. I told you.” Her phone came up and snapped a picture of Peter’s startled face.

Ned saw his cheeks redden and he moved backwards, pulling his black cap deeper into his face. He tried to turn away and leave but the blonde’s hand snagged the Lego Store bag he was carrying. ”Hey, can I take a selfie with you?”

Taken aback, Peter stared at her. ”Oh, I …” He looked around quickly, scanning the crowd meandering around the mall, as if he was scared of turning her down because it could draw too much attention. He pulled on his bag until the girl let go. ”Sorry, I’d rather not.”

”Don’t be a jerk,” the blonde said, her forehead creasing into a frown. ”Seriously, it’s just a picture.”

Ned felt anger claw at his throat, which only intensified as Peter just stared at her helplessly, looking lost. “I …”

”You think you’re too good for me or something?”

A middle-aged couple walking by turned at her loud question, but they didn’t seem to recognize Peter and kept walking, muttering about ‘teenage dramas’.

Ned decided that enough was enough and stepped between Peter and the girls. ”He doesn’t want to, so just leave him alone.”

”And who are _you_?” the brunette asked scathingly.

”His friend.”

She looked him up and down, a cruel smirk tugging at her lips. ”Really? _You_?”

Peter cleared his throat, drawing the attention back to himself and Ned felt him step up beside him. His expression made him seem a bit more composed now but Ned could tell by the look in his dark eyes and his hunched shoulders that he was unsettled and nervous … maybe even scared. ”Look … I’m sorry. I just … would prefer not to take any pictures.”

The blonde huffed a breath and turned away, telling her friend, ”What an asshole, seriously.”

With that, they walked off. Peter looked after them for a moment, his face devastated, and then met Ned’s eyes with a weak, fake smile before turning away. He pretended to look in the windows of the jewelry store next to them. Ned watched him for moment, saw him ball his hands into fists and breathe deeply.

Ned gave him a few moments, then he asked, ”Are you okay?”

”I’m fine.” Peter smiled at him again, just as fake as before. 

Ned looked around them, making sure nobody paid them any attention, before he stepped closer and put a hand on Peter’s arm. ”You’re not.”

Peter took a deep breath, released it and answered, ”I just a need a minute.”

Ned nodded. ”Do you want to leave?”

”I thought you wanted to check out the new ice cream place.”

Ned shrugged. ”It’ll still be here next time we come. And if it isn’t, it wasn’t worth checking out anyway.”

Peter looked at him for a long moment, something like gratitude in his eyes and something like guilt and shame in the way he held himself, then he nodded. ”Okay.” 

”Okay, let’s go.”

Peter kept his head down as they walked, the cap he was wearing pulled deep into his face. Ned texted his mother, who had gone off to do some of her own shopping while Ned and Peter spent time together.

_Sat, Mar 23, 04:59 PM_

**Ned:**  
Heading back to the car. 

**Mom:**  
That was quick. Everything ok? 

**Ned:**  
Fans wanted pictures. 

Ned didn’t have to say more. His mother knew already, had fended off an overly curious young man and his girlfriend just a few weeks ago herself during dinner at a restaurant. By the time Peter and Ned reached the underground garage, Ned’s mother was already sitting in the car and texting somebody. She smiled kindly at Peter when they got into the back. ”Are you okay, sweetheart?”

Peter nodded and looked out the window.

”Should I drive you home or should we get dinner somewhere?”

Peter took a deep breath, seeming to get himself under control again. ”Thank you, Mrs. Leeds, but if you could just take me home, please?”

”Sure thing.”

While they were leaving the garage, Peter started to relax again, and by the time they were on Queensboro Bridge, he was smiling at Ned. ”Sorry I can’t stay longer.”

”Are you going out tonight?” Ned asked.

”No, it’s just … Tony was kind of busy over the last few weeks, so I think he just wants to spend the evening together.” Peter’s expression showed how much he was looking forward to it. It was a testament to the way his relationship with Mr. Stark had improved and grown closer since the attack a few months ago. 

It was a relief. For a while there, at the very beginning, Ned hadn’t been entirely convinced that it was a good idea for Peter to live with Mr. Stark. In his eyes, they hadn’t known each other well enough to even _think_ about it. At the same time, he had been glad that Mr. Stark had been there for Peter when Ned hadn’t been able to. He’d started to pick up the pieces before Ned had even known that May had died and it meant a lot.

It meant the world. 

They weaved their way through the afternoon traffic, Ned’s mother humming along to the radio while Ned and Peter sat quietly in the back. Ned was checking his messages, but kept half his attention on Peter who was still looking out the window.

When they reached the outskirts of Manhattan, though, Peter heaved a sigh and turned to look at him. ”I’m sorry, man,” he said softly.

”It’s fine,” Ned answered. ”Don’t worry about it.”

There was nothing else he could say. He didn’t want Peter to feel guilty, as much as he sometimes wished that things would go back to how they used to be. Back to when he didn’t have to cross half the city to see his best friend, back to when they could be out in the open without Peter constantly on alert, without people harassing him. Ned knew that Peter didn’t want the attention. He wondered whether it would ever die down, whether there would ever be a point in time when people would stop caring. 

He hoped for Peter’s sake it would come soon.

***

“Right,” Tony said, leaving the spaghetti in the strainer in the sink to stand behind Peter and peer at the pan he was tending to, ”how are things at the meatball front?”

Peter hummed thoughtfully and turned a few of the meatballs around. ”I’d say they’re done.” 

The smell of minced meat and tomato sauce wafted through the penthouse’s kitchen niche. The lights illuminating the open-plan kitchen and living area banned shadows into the farthest corners and caused the panorama windows making up two of the huge space’s four walls to reflect the inside of the penthouse instead of presenting the impressive view of the city spread out around them. It almost seemed as if Tony and Peter were separated from the rest of the world, cocooned into their own little space. 

Tony had found that he liked it that way. “They smell great.” 

”Yeah,” Peter said softly. 

Tony stepped up next to him under the pretense to stir the sauce and sneaked a quick glance at Peter’s face as he did. To his relief, Peter didn’t look sad, just pensive; caught up in memories. Peter had asked for spaghetti with meatballs for dinner and volunteered to prepare the latter, going as far as to make them from scratch. Tony had watched him, impressed. Knowing it was probably May’s recipe, he’d been a bit worried about whether Peter would have an emotional reaction at some point in time, but he seemed fine.

Over the last few weeks, grief wasn’t edged as deeply into his expression anymore whenever he thought about May. More than half a year had passed since she’d died and Peter was starting to finally heal for good.

“How’s the sauce?” Peter asked. 

Unlike Peter, Tony hadn’t prepared his part of the dinner from scratch. He’d opened a pack. Tony had never been big on cooking. There were a few meals he could do perfectly, but other than that, he just had never been interested, really. 

However, cooking with Peter had become a regular thing, just like having dinner together had. They didn’t do it every night, mostly living off the meals Tony’s maid prepared for them and take-out, but on the weekends or when they had the time, they cooked.

It had started when Tony had tried to prepare dinner one night and Peter had joined in, taking over a few of the tasks as if it was the most natural thing in the world, a testament to the way Peter and May had divided tasks around the apartment between each other. They had never discussed making it a routine. It had just happened. 

Tony dipped the spoon into the sauce to taste it. ”It’s not awful.”

”’Not awful’ meaning ‘not likely to poison us’?” 

Tony pointed one finger at him before he proceeded to pour the sauce into a bowl. ”I don’t appreciate sass.”

”Yes, you do,” Peter said, opening one of the cupboards and getting out three plates. ”You’re the sassiest person I know.”

”I provide you with a roof over your head, I feed you, I clothe you and all I get-”

”Is a lame t-shirt?” Peter interrupted him, holding his hands out for the bowl containing the sauce and the meatballs. 

Tony shook his head in mock offense. ”Well, I certainly don’t get respect.”

The elevator dinged and high heels clacked on the wooden floor, letting them know that Pepper had arrived. Peter’s face immediately melted into a wide grin and Pepper pulled him in for a quick hug and kiss to his temple. ”Dinner’s ready, I see,” she said, setting her bag down on the couch and shrugging out of her coat before settling into the chair at the head of the table.

The table was a rather new addition to the penthouse, set up between the kitchen corner and the crowd of couches forming the seating area. Tony had to admit that its position was a little awkward. The set-up of the penthouse as a large open-plan space hadn’t really foreseen the addition, but the kitchen island had turned out to be too inconvenient for regular meals.

In the end, Tony had bought the table and set it up as close to the kitchen corner as possible. He knew they wouldn’t stay in the penthouse for much longer anyway.

Tony had started the process of selling Avengers Tower last summer. However, when Peter had come to live with him, Tony had halted the whole thing, not wanting to deal with it on top of everything else. He was going to start the sale again once summer came around, intending to use the vacation to look at new apartments with Peter and get the move over with. 

”Peter,” Pepper said when he sat a full plate down in front of her. “That smells fantastic.”

As he sat down on her right side, Tony sent a mock-glare her way.

Peter replied before Tony could say anything, though. ”It wasn’t just me.” He winked at her. ”Tony assisted.”

Pepper laughed. 

Tony directed his glare at Peter. ”You only did the meatballs, I did the pasta _and_ the sauce.” 

Peter raised an eyebrow at him. ”I saw you open the pack for the sauce, you know that, right?”

”I added spices,” Tony said.

”So basically,” Peter said, turning back to Pepper. ”He warmed ready-made sauce up and boiled water.”

”One more word out of you and you can forget about that trip to Disneyland,” Tony said, pointing his fork at Peter. 

Peter just smiled at him, his mouth too full to provide an answer, the lights reflecting in his dark eyes. He looked genuinely happy … and it caused Tony’s heart to clench. The adoption had still not gone through officially. Tony tried not to show how much it affected him for Peter’s sake, but the fear of all this being taken from him, for whatever reason, nudged at him at the most inconvenient times. He forced himself to return Peter’s smile gently, then he sighed and focused on his meal, closing his eyes for a moment to soak up the moment. Dinner was usually the only time they actually sat and talked and it often led to them spending the evening together in the workshop or on the couch watching tv. His life had become awfully domestic, really, but Tony had found that he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Not anymore. 

”How’s Ned?” he asked.

Peter nodded at his spaghetti. ”Good.” 

”You went to the mall, right?”

”Yeah. For a bit.” Peter didn’t look up from his plate as he answered and Tony got the feeling that something was wrong. Peter was unusually tight-lipped. 

Pepper seemed to notice as well, since she sent Tony a questioning look. 

He shrugged. ”You okay?”

Peter’s eyes found his and he pasted on a smile. ”I’m good.”

Tony nodded, not convinced. ”Okay.” 

He wanted to push, but he also knew that it wouldn’t help. They’d grown a lot closer emotionally since the attack on the penthouse last year, but Peter sometimes needed time to process issues by himself and Tony wanted to give him the space to do so.

He turned to Pepper instead, changing the topic. ”How did the meeting go?”

”Fine,” she answered, brushing a few strands of blond hair behind her ear. ”We’ve got the dates and the location locked down. It’s going to be Flushing again.” 

Peter looked at her curiously. ”What for?”

Pepper gave him a smile. ”We’re going to do a Mini-Stark Expo in summer for youths and children.”

”In Flushing Meadows Park?”

”That’s right.” 

Tony huffed a breath. ”Though it’s a wonder the city is allowing us to do this after what happened at the last Stark Expo.” 

Pepper raised her eyebrows. ”It took a lot of convincing, but Lewin is on our side. He said he’s going to support us 100%.”

Tony hummed thoughtfully. ”So he was at the meeting?”

”Yes. I didn’t expect him to come but … he said he wanted to attend.”

Peter reached for a second serving while he asked, ”He’s the new mayor, right?” 

Tony nodded, but he kept his eyes on Pepper. ”What do you think of him?”

”He’s nice,” she said, ”professional, charming. I know people say he’s not the right one for the job but …” She shrugged. ”He seemed fine.” She set the cutlery down, finished with her meal. ”He’s dying to meet you.”

Tony huffed an amused laugh. ”Is he?”

”Yeah, he was hoping you’d be at the meeting.”

”I’ll send him a signed picture.”

Digging into his second serving, Peter asked, “So the expo is going to be what? A smaller version of the original Stark Expo?”

Pepper cleared her throat, folding her hands under her chin. ”There’s going to be a lot of activities for teenagers and children based around science and technology. We’ll set up a small job fair for teenagers in cooperation with other companies like Oscorp to give advice on colleges.” 

Peter nodded. ”Cool.” 

”I’m glad you think so,” Pepper said, her eyes flitting over to Tony for just a second, ”because I was going to ask you a favor.”

Tony paused and looked at her questioningly. 

Pepper kept her eyes on Peter. ”I was asked today whether you’d be interested in holding the keynote speech during the opening.” 

Tony felt a sense of dread settle into his stomach.

Peter stared at her. ”The what?”

”The keynote,” Pepper said. ”The speech to kick it all off.”

Before Peter could say anything else, Tony asked, ”Why him?”

Pepper met his eyes steadily and when she answered, she spoke in the kind of voice she usually reserved for meetings; calm, clear, competent. ”Because he’s a teenager interested in science and technology and it’s an event for kids and teens interested in science and technology.”

Tony ground his teeth together, his fingers tightening around the fork and spoon in his hands. 

Peter looked at him, his dark eyes unsure. ”Like, I would do this … with Tony?”

Pepper shook her head. ”No, actually. The idea was that you would hold the speech alone.”

Tony noticed the way Peter’s eyes kept flickering to him, his shoulders tense and his expression torn, so he quickly said, ”You don’t have to do it.” 

Pursing her lips in annoyance, Pepper stared at Tony. ”But the board thinks it would be the perfect opportunity to publicly connect Peter to the company’s activities.”

Tony frowned at her. 

”You can think about it,” Pepper said, her attention back on Peter. ”Let me know in the course of the week.” 

Peter nodded slowly. ”Yeah, okay. I’ll think about it.” 

He pushed his plate away. It was still half-full.

***

Tony waited until after dinner, waited until Peter had helped clear the table and until he’d left for the workshop, until music started to trickle down towards the kitchen.

Pepper was on the phone over in the corner where the bar was situated, laughing softly before hanging up and making her way back towards Tony.

”F.R.I.D.A.Y.,” he said, ”let me know in case Peter leaves the workshop or turns off the music.”

_”Okay, boss.”_

Pepper looked at him while she put on her coat. It was dark blue and accentuated her eyes in a way that made it hard for Tony to hold onto his annoyance, but he managed. Pepper frowned. ”I won’t like what you’re going to say next, am I?”

He levelled a glare at her. “You can’t go and do that, Pepper.”

”Do what?”

”Ask Peter for a public appearance without asking me _first_.”

Pepper frowned at him and picked up her bag. ”He’s sixteen, Tony.” 

”This isn’t something he should be deciding on his own.”

”It’s not like I asked him behind your back.”

Tony threw his hands up and started to load the dishwasher.

Pepper huffed an annoyed breath. ”Tony, the question arose during the meeting today and when I arrived here, you were already preparing dinner together. I didn’t get the chance to talk to you beforehand.”

”You could have asked to speak to me alone.”

He heard her heels clicking on the wood, coming closer. ”Tony, why are you making such a big deal out of this?” 

Tony slammed the dishwasher closed and turned, leaning back against the kitchen counter with his arms crossed. He didn’t have a clear answer for her, at least not one that would sound reasonable right now, and that frustrated him more than he could say. The fact that Howard could still haunt him after all these years was nothing new, but he especially hated whenever the bad memories he had of his father came up in connection to Peter.

Pepper seemed to understand, as she always did, because her puzzled expression softened and she stepped closer with a sigh. ”Tony.” She took his hands into hers. ”It’s _one_ appearance.”

”Which leads to another and another and another.” Tony remembered all too well how much he’d hated being shown off like some sort of mascot, had rebelled against it when he’d grown into a teenager, the rift between him and his father only growing as a consequence.

”Tony, no.” She shook her head. ”He’s got the choice to turn it down.” 

”He won’t say no to you.”

”I won’t abuse that.” She squeezed his hands. ”And you _know_ that. So what’s really going on?”

He crossed his arms, his hands slipping free of hers. ”What do you mean?” 

”You’re only this overprotective when something’s wrong.”

”I’m not overprotective.”

”Last week, you almost ripped that photographer’s head off in Central Park because he took pictures of Peter and you jogging.” 

Tony scoffed. ”He should have minded his own business.”

Pepper gave him a look. ”You’re usually better at handling this kind of stuff.”

Ducking his head, Tony hunched his shoulders a bit. ”Nothing’s going on.”

Pepper sighed. ”I know you better than that.”

Tony swallowed, then he looked at her in defeat. ”I’m just … a bit tense.”

”Because?” 

”Because Joel calls with updates or to let me know there aren’t any and every time I see his name on the display … I think he’s going to tell me they said no.” He squeezed his eyes shut. “I don’t sleep well. I …” He took a deep breath and gave her a helpless smile. “I’m worried.”

Pepper stared at him for a long moment. ”Oh, Tony,” she said then, pulling him into a hug. ”They won’t say no.” 

He leaned his head against her shoulder, but didn’t melt into the embrace completely, keeping his arms crossed. ”How can you know that?”

”Because,” she pulled back and looked at him properly, ”you’re a _good parent_. And because Peter _wants_ to stay with you.”

Rubbing his face, he slumped back against the counter. The next words tumbled out before he knew he was about to say them, like a release. ”I don’t know what I’ll do if they take him from me.”

”Nobody,” Pepper said firmly, ”is going to take him from you.” She cupped his cheek and guided him to meet her eyes. ”Okay?” 

”Okay.” 

She nodded with a smile. ”Okay.” She took a breath. “Try not to worry too much, okay? Peter picks up on it. He’s been tense for weeks.” She leaned in to kiss his cheek and he allowed the gesture, his hands going around her waist tentatively, another kind of ache settling in his chest. ”Right,” she said, pulling away before he could tighten his hold. ”Now, what about the mayor’s reception on Tuesday?”

Tony groaned. ”Can’t you go?”

”I _will_ go,” Pepper said, ”but you were invited as well and it’s an important event.” 

Tony rolled his eyes. ”Is it?” 

”Yes,” she insisted, ”and I would appreciate you being there.” 

”Pepper, there is a reason I made you CEO: so that I wouldn’t have to do this kind of stuff anymore.”

”Tony,” she said with a voice that sounded patient to the untrained ear, but Tony could hear the steel behind her words, “first of all, that wasn’t the reason and we both know it. Second, the company is still called Stark Industries. It’s still _your_ company.”

”So?” 

”So you are still involved. Not in the day-to-day business, but on a greater scale. It’s a party. You used to love parties.” 

”Not this kind of parties.” His eyes widened in sudden realization of a way out. ”Besides, I have a child.”

”Oh no, don’t pull the single dad card, mister,” Pepper replied. ”Peter’s sixteen. He’s able to stay alone for a few hours.” 

Tony huffed an annoyed breath.

“I think it would be good for you to go, considering,” Pepper continued, her face earnest. “You know that Lewin is hell-bent on making New York the first city to implement the Registration Act.”

Tony swallowed, ducking his head. ”I don’t support the Registration Act.”

”I know, but it can’t hurt to show yourself, make nice with Lewin. They might have kicked you out of the Sokovia Accords amendment committee, but you could get a foot in the door this way.” She checked her watch and her eyes widened. ”Oh, damn! I’m late.”

”Work?” 

”No, actually.” She smiled weakly. ”Drinks.” 

There was a brief stab of pain and, yes, _jealousy_ in his chest. He tried not to show it. ”A date?”

”If you must know, yes.”

Tony nodded sadly. 

Pepper paused to look at him firmly. ”Tell me you will attend the mayor’s party.”

He huffed a breath. ”Fine, but I won’t be on my best behavior.”

”Are you ever?” she asked with a wink. She became earnest once more, her hand squeezing his arm. ”Are you going to be okay?”

”Fine,” he answered. 

She smiled and left, uttering a ‘thank you’ to F.R.I.D.A.Y. when the elevator doors opened upon her approach. 

Tony looked after her, crossing his arms. ”Just fine.” 

***

“You’re screwed,” Harry said. 

It was a verdict spoken with enough conviction that Peter halted, frowning at him quizzically. ”Screwed?” 

”Yeah. There’s nothing optional about that keynote, Pete,” Harry said, shaking his head and leaning back in the chair of the canteen. Pointing his fork at Peter, he added, ”You’re _expected_ to do this.”

A few tables away, a group of girls erupted into a bout of laughter. The canteen of Rochester Academy was loud and chaotic, as always during lunchtime. Peter and Harry were situated at their usual table towards the back of the room, far away from people like Mike Sullivan, who seemed always prepared to make school life harder on the both of them in some way. Harry and Peter weren’t exactly popular, Harry even less than Peter. His brash and cynical personality rubbed a lot of the kids at the school the wrong way and sometimes, Peter could understand them. However, Harry was the only one at Rochester Academy who would speak to Peter for more than five minutes at a time, the only one who seemed genuinely interested in him. What had started out as Peter tutoring Harry in physics had become a kind of tentative friendship born from the fact that they had one big thing in common: Harry’s father was one of the most influential business men in the world, just like Tony. He could understand Peter in a way nobody else was able to, not even Ned. 

Thoughtfully, Peter pushed some of his potatoes towards the middle of the plate. ”Pepper said I can think about it.”

Harry shrugged. ”And Tony told you that you _shouldn’t_ do it?”

”No. He said it’s my decision.”

”Right, they’re trying to make this seem as if it’s your own choice, but, really …” Harry shrugged. ”It’s your _job_ to do this.” He waved his fork at Peter. ”As Tony’s kid, you know.”

”Do _you_ have to do this kind of stuff?” Peter asked. 

Harry shook his head and then shrugged. ”Not exactly. We don’t host big events, really. But I have to go to some charities and business dinners with my dad sometimes.” He rolled his eyes. “To prove to the world that I’m no longer on the wrong path.”

Peter didn’t know a lot about Harry’s past issues with drugs and alcohol, but he knew enough to be sure that they had been serious. He also knew that those issues were the reason Tony didn’t exactly like Peter and Harry hanging out with each other. However, underneath his cynical and aloof façade, Peter had found Harry to be quite a different person. Somebody who suffered under his father’s firm hand and his mother’s death, unexpectedly vulnerable and sensitive. In a school filled with students obsessed with power and status, Harry was surprisingly _real_ because he didn’t care about these things.

Just like Peter himself, who often felt out of place among the children of New York’s elite. 

Harry’s phone vibrated against the table and he picked it up, frowning at the screen and tapping an answer before he continued, ”Adoption’s not through yet, right?”

Peter shook his head, trying to ignore the ball of anxiety in his stomach at the thought. He tried not to think about it too often, but it was hard not to. Especially with Tony being so tense sometimes, leaving the room abruptly to take phone calls from Joel and returning with a weak smile and no news. 

Harry’s phone vibrated again and he looked at the display. ”Fuck you,” he said, tapping out another response. ”Fucking asshole.” He slammed his phone back on the table, his dark eyes alight with anger.

”You okay?” Peter asked.

”Just peachy.” Harry’s fingers drummed against the tabletop. ”Listen, just … tell him you’ll do it. Do everything he asks until you can slap his last name on your passport and then just stop caring. Believe me, he will stop as well.”

Peter swallowed, trying to quell his irritation. Harry had a habit of being cynical and Peter knew it had a lot to do with the relationship between him and his father. Peter tried not to let it get to him too much. ”I don’t think so.”

”Why? Because he _loves_ you?” He smirked. ”Has he told you that recently?”

Peter felt the words slipping in-between his ribs like a knife. ”No, we … we’re not … we’re not there yet.” Though he’d been close to saying it more than once. He’d just never been brave enough to actually _do_ it, unsure what Tony’s reaction would be. Those words seemed like a big step, maybe too big at the moment. 

”Not there yet?” Harry echoed with a bitter smile. ”Well, I guess the same goes for me and my dad and he’s known me for sixteen years. You’re in for a long wait.”

Peter stared at his lunch, taken aback.

It was quiet for a long moment, then Harry asked, ”Did I hurt your feelings?” He sounded worried. ”I was just being honest, Pete.”

“You always are,” Peter replied, exasperated, ”but you don’t _know_ him. You say he doesn’t care, but he was there for me when nobody else was. He didn’t have to come to the hospital when my aunt was sick, but he did anyway and he took me home and he bought me dinner and he was there when … he was _there_.” He felt tears prick at his eyes and he hated that the thought of that night could still easily make him cry. He was supposed to get better, to be able to think about everything but that night … the night in which … he got up abruptly. “I wish you would just stop being such an ass about it.” Peter grabbed his backpack and left, only daring to quickly swipe at his eyes when he’d left the crowded canteen.

He heard hurried steps echo behind him and Harry caught up to him half-way down the corridor. ”Shit, Pete.” He grabbed his shoulder but Peter shrugged him off. ”Hey,” Harry said, stepping into his way and crowding him against the lockers. ”I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Pete, I’m just … I was a jerk. I didn’t mean to …” He swallowed and one of his hands brushed through his dark blond hair nervously. ”Sometimes, I just … you know how things are with my dad and I tend to project and I’m just in a bad mood today and … I’m sorry.”

Peter swallowed and met his eyes, recognizing Harry’s desperate expression for what it was: honest regret. 

”Okay?” Harry asked, his dark eyes pleading.

He nodded. ”Yeah.” 

”Okay,” Harry said, looking relieved. For a moment, they hovered, then Peter stepped around Harry to head down the corridor. Harry fell into step next to him. 

”Did you ever consider,” Peter asked softly, “that your dad isn’t the worst person in the world?” 

Harry huffed a breath. ”It’s complicated.”

”Maybe, but you will regret it if you fight with him and … something happens and he’s just … gone. You will.” He took a breath and looked at Harry earnestly. ”I never got to apologize to my uncle. And there’s things about me my aunt didn’t know and which caused misunderstandings and arguments and I … will regret that. Forever.” 

Harry ducked his head. ”Pete, you just told me not to make assumptions about Tony, so just … don’t make them about my dad, okay? He’s … complicated. And lately … he’s been out a lot, but not for business and he doesn’t tell me anything and …” He shook his head. ”I’m pretty sure he hates me.” 

”I’m sure that’s not true.”

Harry scoffed. ”In case you haven’t noticed yet: I’m kind of a disappointment.”

Peter looked at him in disbelief. 

Harry shrugged. ”Can we … talk about something else?”

”Yeah,” Peter answered, “sure.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a general FYI: I know NOTHING about lab equipment. I did my research and all, but if there are mistakes in me describing Peter’s lab equipment, I’m sorry.

**JULY 2017**

The first thing Ned saw when switching on his phone once it was finally back in his hands were several notifications of missed calls and text messages. 

Most of them were from Peter.

This very fact wasn’t that surprising to Ned, really. They exchanged a lot of text messages in general and it would have taken Peter a while to realize that Ned wasn’t answering. He expected Peter’s messages to express his concern or maybe even annoyance because he knew Ned so well and he probably suspected that Ned had lost his phone somewhere … but the first message Ned read upon opening their chat were the last two words Peter had texted him two days prior and they were not what he expected at all: _I’m scared._

Ned’s heart skipped a beat. He shouted for his mom before he could fully go through all of Peter’s texts properly and they were on their way back to New York the same night.

Everything was kind of a blur. Ned remembered calling Peter several times without the phone ever being picked up. He also remembered the moment his calls were finally returned. Peter didn’t say much and Ned didn’t know what to say, stumbling through words that seemed hollow and useless while he listened to Peter trying not to cry. He remembered sitting at the airport, his hands clenched around his boarding pass, while his mother brushed his hair out of his forehead soothingly and his father talked to Tony Stark.

There was something terrifying about it all. 

Ned didn’t even unpack his suitcase when they arrived home, just threw some clean clothes into a backpack and then got back into the car with his mother. He spent the drive to the Avengers Compound trying to prepare for what he was about to find.

Ned knew what grief did to Peter, had learned the hard way that Peter wasn’t one to ask for help. After Ben’s death, he hadn’t fought Peter whenever he’d said he wanted to stay home instead of meeting up, had taken Peter’s unusual silence in stride, the constant exhaustion visible in his eyes. He hadn’t asked more than once, hadn’t forced Peter to speak about it all, hadn’t taken note of the untouched lunches, hadn’t seen him cry … until Peter had collapsed in gym class because he had barely eaten in a week. Ned had felt guilty after, even though Peter had never blamed him. Ned had kept a closer eye on him from then on, had stayed in Peter’s periphery as much as possible, even if it meant sitting next to him in silence for hours while doing homework. He’d monitored his food intake at school. He’d stayed when Peter had finally cried in front of him and talked for two hours without a pause, about Ben’s death and May’s depression and how he felt responsible for it all.

Ned had sworn to himself after that he would never let Peter down again … and he’d broken that promise.

When they arrived at the Compound, a security guard checked their names against a list and directed them towards the very back of the property where a big, modernly sleek three-story house was set apart from the rest of the buildings. The door opened when Ned’s mom parked the car but it wasn’t Peter who waited for them. Instead, Tony Stark himself was leaning in the door, wearing jeans and a black t-shirt.

He looked unexpectedly casual. Very normal. Somehow more real. 

He also looked kind of stressed as he shook their hands and gave them a tight smile.

”You want to go upstairs to see him?” he asked once they were inside. “He’s in his room, first floor, second door to the right. I’m not sure whether he’s awake, though. He’s been sleeping a lot.”

”Is he eating?” Ned asked. 

Mr. Stark paused for a moment and there was a shadow of a flinch crossing his face before he answered, ”Not regularly. I’m keeping an eye on that.” 

Ned walked up the stairs hesitantly, unsure whether he should expect to run into any of the other Avengers. He wasn’t sure what to do if that should happen.

The door to Peter’s room was the only one not closed all the way. Ned knocked before he entered. The room was big and the furniture looked expensive. Somebody had tried to make the room more cozy by adding pillows and blankets to the couch in the corner as well as some nature photographs on the walls, however … it had the impersonal feel of a hotel room. 

An expensive one. But still …

Peter wasn’t asleep, he was sitting against the headboard of the bed, his legs pulled to his chest. His laptop was resting on the mattress next to him, open. 

Ned tried on a smile. ”Hey.”

”Hey.” Peter slid forward to sit on the edge of the bed. 

Ned thought that he looked pale and unwell, his expression shuttered and hard to read. He put his bag down and went to sit next to him hesitantly.

”Thanks for coming,” Peter said. He didn’t look at him.

Ned opened his mouth to answer, but he didn’t know what to say. Maybe something along the lines of how it was a given that he’d come. That he could stay as long as Peter needed him to. That he was there for him. 

It all sounded like a lie, because they both knew that Ned hadn’t been there when Peter had actually needed him to be. And Ned could tell that Peter was hurt. Deeply. Maybe beyond repair. 

“I …” He swallowed, felt tears prick at his eyes. “I forgot my phone,” was what finally came out. “At one of the camps. And … we didn’t go back for it until we were done with the trail. It took a few days and … I didn’t …” 

Peter still wasn’t looking at him. He was breathing deeply, his eyes blinking rapidly, his fingers white-knuckled and knotted into the comforter.

“I knew I should have called with a landline or my mom’s phone, just to let you know, but … I didn’t. I didn’t think …” Ned felt the first tear trickle down his cheek and wiped it away angrily. He had no right to cry. ”I’m so sorry, Peter.”

It was quiet for a long moment and Peter didn’t move.

“Peter,” Ned whispered.

Peter squeezed his eyes shut and his expression twisted before he covered his eyes with one hand and sobbed. The sound was harsh in the quiet of the room, startingly loud.

”Oh God,” Ned whispered and put a trembling hand on his back. ”I’m so sorry.” 

Peter put his head in his hands and leaned forward, heaving miserable breaths that sounded as if they hurt.

”I’m so sorry,” Ned repeated and he didn’t even know anymore whether he was apologizing for not being reachable or whether he was talking about May’s death.

”There was nobody,” Peter answered and it was half-angry, half-sad. It broke Ned’s heart. ”There was _nobody_ there. I didn’t know who to call.”

”I’m sorry.”

”Mr. Stark was the only one who was there and I … I didn’t _want_ him to be.”

”Peter …” Ned gripped his fingers into Peter’s shirt.

”He was the last … the last person I wanted to call. And I was so … alone.” He took a shuddering breath. ”I’m alone.” 

Ned pulled him in, his arms reaching around for a clumsy hug. ”No.”

”I’m alone.”

”You’re not.”

”Ned.” His arms came up around Ned’s shoulders and he sagged against him. ” _Please_.” 

Ned pressed him close. ”You’ve got me,” he said. ”You’ve got me. And my mom and dad. And Mr. Stark, right?” 

He felt Peter sag a little more against him and shiver through a sob.

”You’re not alone,” he said. ”I’ve got you.” He tightened his hold. “We’ve got you, Peter.” 

***

**MARCH 2018**

”So, Liz stopped me after practice today,” Ned said and saw Peter look up from his homework and right at the camera. It was strange to talk like this, through a video chat as if they were worlds apart. Ned could see parts of Peter’s room stretching out behind him, the posters on the wall next to the door and the cluttered bookshelf on the other side. “She asked about your Facebook page.”

Peter frowned. _”She did?”_

“Yeah. She wanted to know why you deactivated it.”

Peter nodded. _”Oh, that.”_ Looking down at his homework for a moment, he made a note before looking at Ned again. _“What did you tell her?”_

Ned shrugged. ”That you had too many Friend Requests and didn’t want to deal with it.”

It wasn’t quite the truth. While Peter _had_ received a slew of Friend Requests from people he didn’t even know since his name appeared more often in the tabloids, he hadn’t deactivated the page because he didn’t _want_ to deal with them. He’d done so because he _couldn’t_. He’d been simply overwhelmed. Ned could relate. However, deactivating the page had cut the last connection with most of the people Peter knew from school. Ned had been approached by some of them before to get Peter’s number but he’d always declined up until now, not sure about their motives.

”Anyway, there’s a thing tomorrow at her place. Movie night. She said to tell you to come. She wasn’t sure how to reach you.”

Peter frowned. _”Doesn’t she have my phone number from decathlon?”_

Ned shrugged. ”Well, you know, I think it’s just awkward for her? Because you weren’t that close. And because of May.” He cleared his throat. ”Abe and Cindy will be there, too. And MJ.” He caught Peter’s eyes. “Maybe it would be good to come to … you know, reconnect.” He knew that Peter needed more friends. It hadn’t been that noticeable while Peter had still attended Midtown, because him and Ned had spent a lot of time together outside of school, but this had changed. These days, Peter spent a lot of time alone or with Mr. Stark. On some occasions also with Miss Potts or Happy.

But they were all adults. 

As far as Ned knew, Peter didn’t have any friends his age, aside from Harry Osborn, who he only saw at school. After Peter had left Midtown, Ned’s mom had pushed him to connect with some other students on a more personal basis. Ned had disliked it at first, even thinking she wanted him to forget about Peter, but now he knew that she had just been worried he would lose touch with the other students around him. He had found quite a good friend in Abe in the meantime and spent a lot of time playing video games with him. 

It wasn’t the same as it had been with Peter, it never would be, but Ned knew that there was no point in thinking about it. Peter wouldn’t return to Midtown; Mr. Stark apparently didn’t want him to.

”It’ll be fun,” he told Peter. “Just say you’ll come.” 

Peter ducked his head, tapping his pen against the desk. _”Didn’t you say they think I don’t belong with you guys anymore?”_

Ned huffed a breath. ”You know I don’t believe that and it wasn’t _them_ who said it. I’m hanging with them because they didn’t.” He shrugged. ”Besides, I think Flash and Sally and some others are just jealous. ‘Cause you live with Tony Stark. So, are you going to come tomorrow?”

_”I’ll ask Tony.”_

”Cool,” Ned smiled. His phone chimed and he glanced at it, the short glance enough to give him the gist of what the news app he was following wanted to tell him. ”Sick,” he said. ”There was another one.”

_”Another what?”_ Peter asked, looking up from his physics book.

”Haven’t you heard?” Ned asked, checking the news feed for more information. “There are guys going around Queens and Brooklyn, basically ripping ATMs out of the wall and taking all the cash.”

Peter’s eyes widened. _”Ripping them out of the wall?”_

”CCTV shows them using some kind of tech. Experts say it’s alien. Maybe harvested from the attack a few years ago.”

Peter frowned. _”And the police doesn’t catch them?”_

”They don’t know where they’ll strike next.” Ned sighed. ”I bet you something that Spider-Man would have stopped those guys by now. But he’s been gone for months. Probably dead or something.” Ned looked at him. ”Hey, wouldn’t Mr. Stark know? I thought they worked together.”

_”They did,”_ Peter said slowly. _”Spider-Man hasn’t been around for a while, I think.”_

”Well if he’s dead, they haven’t found him. Or maybe he died when he didn’t wear the suit. We wouldn’t even _know_ he’s dead.”

_”He’s not dead,”_ Peter replied. _”Tony said once that he’s taking a break. To deal with stuff.”_

Ned frowned in confusion. ”What stuff?”

Peter shrugged. _”I don’t know. Bad stuff?”_

***

When he was done with homework, Peter went to the lab. He’d recently experimented with a new formula for the web-fluid and had mixed a fresh batch before starting his homework, leaving it on the magnetic stirrer in Dr. Banner’s lab in the meantime. Tony had only recently allowed Peter to use the lab, accepting that Dr. Banner’s personal haven was better suited for some of Peter’s projects than the workshop. Peter could tell that it had taken a lot out of Tony to give him access to what was once Dr. Banner’s space. The loss of one of his best friends was still fresh in Tony’s mind. Peter had sworn to himself to respect the lab accordingly, keeping it as much as possible in the same state Dr. Banner had left it in, only carving out a small space for himself on one of the tables closest to the door connecting the lab to Tony’s workshop.

”Hey, FRI,” he said as he entered, the lab’s lights changing from dim to bright automatically.

_”Yes, Peter?”_

”How’s it looking?” Peter grabbed goggles from the corner of the table and put them on before approaching the beaker. The magnetic stirrer was still steadily working, keeping the web-fluid in motion.

_”I could not detect anything alarming, Peter.”_

He stopped the stirrer and used a rod to test the web-fluid’s consistency. It stuck to the rod immediately and when Peter pulled it up, the fluid kept clinging. ”FRI,” Peter said, slightly distracted by the intricate webbing the fluid had formed, as if a spider had spun its net between the beaker and the stirring rod in his hand.

_”Yes?”_

”Could you check the news for mentions of ATM robberies in Queens and Brookyln?”

_”Processing request.”_

Peter donned a pair of gloves and emptied the beaker into the device he’d constructed to refill the little cartridges he used to arm his web-shooters. Once the fluid was safely transferred, he pressed down on the handle and the fluid was forced into the cartridge and safely sealed inside. Tony had offered him more high-tech solutions for refilling the cartridges in the past but Peter actually preferred using his own invention, simply adapting it to the smaller cartridges Tony had provided with the new suit.

While Peter wasn’t going out as Spider-Man, he’d slowly started to gravitate towards his suit again over the last few weeks, mainly to experiment with upgrades for the web-fluid or the shooters. Sometimes, he caught himself considering to put the suit on and go on patrol.

Up until now, though, he hadn’t done it. 

May’s death had put Spider-Man out of commission, the exhaustion, guilt and listlessness he’d felt for months following after had taken everything out of him and left Spider-Man in the dust. The more he recovered from the loss, though, the more he also felt his alter ego rearing his head again, stretching out carefully as if waking from a long slumber.

Peter removed the goggles and used a whipping motion to put on one of the web-shooters, snapping it closed around his wrist. The freshly loaded cartridge went into the shooter, the holographic display confirming that it was fully loaded and ready for use.

_”Displaying request,”_ F.R.I.D.A.Y. said and Peter paused to look at the tv screen mounted on the wall as a news channel was switched on.

_”… it’s undeniable that the robbers are using alien technology to commit their crimes. While the DODC and the Avengers have been quiet about the topic, it’s likely that we are looking at technology left over from the invasion a few years ago,”_ a man was saying, the screen taken over by a grainy picture of the robbers in action. 

Peter frowned as he saw their faces. ”Are they wearing Avengers masks?” he asked nobody in particular.

_”This seems to be their MO,”_ F.R.I.D.A.Y. answered.

”How many ATMs were hit?” 

_”Twenty-nine.”_

The tv cut from the picture to a man standing on the steps of City Hall in front of a crowd of journalists. He was tall and good-looking, a bit younger than Tony, with wavy blond hair and a charming smile that lit up his dark eyes. His name was displayed at the bottom of the screen: Gavin Lewin. Peter knew that name, everybody did. He was the newly elected mayor of New York. _”I am dedicated to get this matter under control,”_ he said. _”My administration will work closely with New York’s PDs to find the culprits and …,”_ he added, looking around as if he was about to say something he expected to cause a reaction. _”… we are going to try and enlist the help of local vigilantes as well.”_

Several hands shot into the air and questions were shouted his way. 

Lewin merely kept speaking calmly, managing to regain control effortlessly. _”While the former administration saw enhanced humans as a threat, my administration sees them as potential allies. We are at the precipice of a new age of humankind, one in which people with enhanced powers walk among us. We should welcome them instead of making them feel like a threat.”_

_”But some of them **are** a threat,” _ somebody called out.

_”True,”_ Lewin answered. _”It will take work to build trust, but that trust has to be built on both sides. Let’s not forget that enhanced humans are currently suffering discrimination and violence. However, I firmly believe that we should work together instead of against each other and this goes especially for neighborhood vigilantes. I might not always agree with their methods but they have got their hearts in the right place. The first step towards forging an alliance with them is the implementation of the Registration Act in New York, which I herewith officially announce.”_

Peter stared at the screen with wide eyes. The journalists gathered around the mayor were shouting questions again and he raised his hands in a calming gesture.

_”We will offer a financial incentive to the first 500 enhanced New Yorkers willing to register,”_ he continued, _”and we are positive …”_

The tv switched off. Peter turned towards the lab’s door to see Tony standing there. ”Don’t watch that.”

”It’s affecting me,” Peter answered. 

Tony shook his head. ”It isn’t. You won’t register.”

”Why not?”

”You’re too young.”

”I don’t think that they care about that.”

”Okay,” Tony said, looking at him earnestly. ”I don’t trust the system. They get samples off of you when you register, they put your name on a list and make a note of your abilities.” He crossed his arms. “It’s supposed to be safe but databases can be hacked. No computer system is 100% secure.”

Peter looked at him for a long moment, seeing how serious Tony was. ”Okay,” he said finally. ”I won’t register.” 

Tony nodded and stepped closer to take his arm, looking at the web-shooter and prodding at the seams to make sure it wasn’t sitting too tight. ”Any trouble?”

”No, it’s all fine. Ready to go.”

”Are you?” Tony asked quietly, raising his head a little to look at him. ”Ready to go? Because I don’t think the timing is right.” His eyes flickered towards the black screen, but Peter got the message.

”It isn’t,” he answered. ”I know.” 

He put the web-shooter down, clearing his throat to change the topic. ”Tony, I was invited to a movie night tomorrow. Can I go?”

”A movie night?” Tony asked, crossing his arms and leaning back against the wall. ”Where?” 

”At a friend’s house. I think she lives in Malba.”

Tony looked at him for a long moment and a smile started to curl his lips. ”She? A _girl’s_ house?” 

Somehow, Peter had the sudden feeling that he’d made a huge mistake. He tucked his hands into his jeans pockets sheepishly. ”It’s at a girl’s house but there’s going to be several people.”

”Several _girls_?” Tony looked as if Christmas had come early. 

Peter rolled his eyes. Definitely a mistake. ”Ned will be there, too. And Abe.”

Tony smirked. “And some _girls_.”

Peter narrowed his eyes at him in annoyance. ”You might think you’re being funny, but you’re actually being really lame right now.”

Tony chuckled.

”And Liz’s parents will be there,” Peter said quickly, even though he wasn’t really sure about that. ”Can I … can I go?” 

”It’s a school night.”

Peter deflated a little in disappointment.

”So Happy will pick you up at half past ten at the latest,” Tony added.

Peter’s head shot up to look at him and a smile broke out on his face. It was weird. He hadn’t even realized how badly he wanted to go until just now. ”Cool! That’s awesome, Tony, thank you.”

” _If_ ,” Tony said loudly, raising one finger, “you answer a question for me.” 

Peter’s smile froze and he cleared his throat. ”Okay?” 

”Do you like-like one of the girls?”

Peter pulled a face. ”’Like-like’? _Really_ , Tony?”

”Do you?”

Peter felt his cheeks heat, a blush working its way to the surface.

”Oh,” Tony said and came closer, his face breaking out into a huge grin. ”Oh my God. His first crush.” He pinched Peter’s cheek playfully. 

Peter ducked away. ”Stop it.”

”Show me a picture of her.”

”No.” He brushed past Tony to leave the workshop, hurrying down the stairs. Tony followed him, hovering at the kitchen island while Peter picked an apple out of the bowl. 

“What’s her name?”

Peter looked at him, rubbing his thumb over the apple nervously. ”Liz,” he said. ”She’s … amazing.” 

”Amazing?” 

”So smart,” Peter said, ”and pretty. And she’s, like, the most popular girl in school, so I … don’t really stand a chance. We know each other through decathlon. She’s just … inviting me because she feels bad or something. Or because Ned asked her to.” 

Tony leaned against the kitchen island, his head tilted. ”Don’t friend-zone yourself already, kid, you live with me after all. Has to be good for something.”

Peter ducked his head, the words hitting him like a punch. He set the apple down untouched, not feeling hungry anymore. And that was just it, wasn’t it? Tony was right. Liz, who had never spoken more than three words with him that hadn’t had a connection to the decathlon, would _never_ invite Peter Parker over for a movie night, not even when Ned asked her to. Peter Stark on the other hand … 

”You’re … you’re right,” he said. ”That must be it.”

When he looked at Tony, he saw that his face had fallen, his teasing grin gone. ”Peter, I’m sure it’s not just that.” 

”She never was interested in me before, Tony. Now she is.”

With that, he turned away and headed for the hallway.

”Peter.” 

He turned back around. ”Yeah?” 

Tony stared at him, his expression sad. ”It’s not that.”

He forced himself to shrug it off. ”It’s fine, I guess.” He smiled tightly. “See you tomorrow.”

***

The school canteen was busy during lunchtime, students milling about, chatting, laughing and watching videos on their cellphones. Peter had turned the music on his iPod up and was making notes for his Spanish assignment while he ate and texted back and forth with Ned. 

They used to have lunch together what seemed like years ago and Peter missed it, missed Midtown High so badly sometimes … missed his whole life in Queens, really. It had been good, great even. 

Different. 

It wasn’t that Peter didn’t appreciate Tony trying to get him the best possible education and he knew that part of the reason for changing schools had been that Rochester Academy was just the better option. Peter had not felt that way in the beginning, had felt smothered and out of place among all the other students who were used to privilege. Now, he could appreciate the high walls and the tight security. They kept photographers from getting in and he didn’t feel like he was being watched every step of the way. However, as far as belonging went, not much had changed. 

A tray was set down on the opposite side of the table and Peter looked up at Harry, who was wearing an expensive-looking pair of sunglasses despite the cloudy sky outside. He slumped into his chair and pushed the glasses up his nose, his expression daring Peter to mention how silly it was to wear sunglasses inside. 

Peter tugged his earbuds out. ”Hey.” 

”Hey,” Harry answered and paused, before he sighed in defeat and slowly pushed the sunglasses up into his hair. 

Peter’s eyes widened at the sight of a bruise forming around Harry’s left eye. ”What the hell?”

”Oh, so it _is_ noticeable?” Harry asked.

”What happened?”

”My dad’s gonna throw a fit.”

”Harry.” 

He rolled his eyes. ”I got into an argument. It’s no big deal.”

”No big deal?” Peter asked in disbelief. ”That looks really bad. Did the nurse look at that?”

Harry threw him an annoyed look. “It’s a bruise. I’ll live.”

Peter bit back a remark about how deep the bruise looked. He had a bit of experience with bruises thanks to injuries he’d received while on patrol and that bruise was more than superficial. It looked vicious. ”What happened?”

Huffing a breath, Harry answered, ”I told you.”

Peter shook his head. ”I know a thing or two about bruises, Harry, and that’s really not-”

”Shut up, Pete, it’s none of your fucking business!” Harry grabbed his fork and aggressively pushed his carrots to mix with the peas, not looking at Peter pointedly. 

Peter nodded slowly. ”Fine. Just trying to help.” He lowered his gaze to his own plate.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Harry fidget. ”Pete,” he said finally and Peter looked at him. ”Listen, sorry for snapping at you.”

Peter just looked at him.

Harry cleared his throat. ”Listen, if … you wanna help … I’m … in kind of a tight spot.” He grimaced and rubbed the back of his head. ”Can I borrow some money?” 

Something heavy settled in Peter’s stomach. The question was casual enough, but paired with Harry’s fidgeting and the bruise, it seemed less harmless. ”What’s going on?”

”Nothing,” Harry said. ”I just … borrowed some money a while ago from this guy and he wants it back and he’s … kinda impatient.”

”So ask your dad.”

”I don’t want to,” Harry said. ”He thinks I fuck everything up and I don’t want him to know he’s right.”

Peter swallowed, undecided. 

Harry stared at him pleadingly. ”Pete, _come on_.”

Peter sighed in defeat. ”How much do you need?”

”1500$.”

Peter’s eyes widened. ”What?! 1500$?!”

”Keep it down,” Harry hissed, leaning forward. “I don’t need anybody to hear this.”

Peter looked around, making sure that nobody was listening to them. ”Where am I supposed to get 1500$?”

”Don’t you get an allowance?”

Peter paused. ”Tony opened an account for me, but I don’t know what’s in there.”

Harry stared at him. ”Are you kidding me?”

”I don’t need a lot of money. I took out 200 tops in the last three months.”

Harry sighed and shook his head. ”Right, can you just check?”

Peter looked at him, still undecided. ”Are you sure you shouldn’t go to your dad with this?”

”I’m sure.” He sighed. ”Listen, Pete, I only have those debts because I was sure my dad would start handing out my allowance again by New Year’s and I can pay it back, but he says I can’t handle money and he wants a justification for everything I request. He even asks for the fucking receipts when I go to buy something.” He turned pleading eyes on him. ”So help me out this once, okay? You’ll get it back, I swear.”

Peter knew he shouldn’t. Something just seemed off about all this … but he couldn’t _not_ help, could he? He sighed in defeat. “Fine.”

Harry smiled. “You’re the best, Pete.”

***

Tony really regretted the careless joke he’d made the night before. He hadn’t thought that it would have this effect. For one moment, Tony had forgotten how very deeply insecure Peter was in some areas. Peter’s constant need for approval and acceptance wasn’t limited to the adults in his life. He craved the same thing from his peers. Tony implying that the reason for the invitation wasn’t a wish to reconnect with Peter, but in fact based on the circumstance that Peter was living with Tony Stark – Iron Man himself – had apparently struck a nerve.

Peter was a tense ball of nervous energy in the passenger seat. He didn’t speak much, didn’t give Tony answers that would make it possible for him to strike up a conversation. He kept fiddling with his phone during the drive, just as he had during dinner, just as he had on the way home from school. Tony had the vague suspicion that he was thinking about reasons to cancel, even as Tony pulled up outside the address Peter had tapped into the navigation system. 

The house they had stopped in front of was very modern, the big window fronts illuminated by gentle lights from within. The front yard was well kept, the path towards the door lit by small lamps. The house fit into the area. Malba was one of the wealthier neighborhoods in Queens, very different from the area Peter had lived in with May. Tony wondered whether some of Peter’s hesitation right now had to do with that little fact as well. Peter had made progress in getting used to Tony’s – and now his own – wealth, but Tony guessed that some small part of him would always be the kid who’d learned to live on a tight budget. 

Peter didn’t make a move to get out of the car, so Tony cleared his throat gently. ”There we are,” he said, giving Peter an encouraging smile. Peter glanced at him and took a deep breath, his fingers clenched around the phone. Tony was starting to get the feeling this was about more than just his thoughtless joke from the day before. ”Are you okay?” 

Peter ducked his head. ”Fine.” He awkwardly tugged on the plaid shirt he was wearing, then on the jeans, before brushing his fingers through his hair nervously, destroying what had been a rather half-hearted attempt at styling it into whatever form of bed-head teenagers were into these days.

”Listen,” Tony said and Peter raised his head to look at him. ”I said something stupid yesterday. It was supposed to be a joke but I feel like I struck a nerve and … I’m sorry. I don’t want you to think that your friends are only inviting you because you live with me-”

”They’re not exactly my friends.”

Tony’s eyes flickered towards the clock on his dashboard. He was definitely going to be late for the mayor’s reception if he didn’t leave within the next five minutes. Pepper would have his head. He tugged on his seatbelt to loosen it a bit and turned in his seat to face Peter. ”What are they?”

”Teammates,” Peter answered. ”From decathlon.” He looked at the house. “They never invited me to this kind of thing before, Tony. What am I supposed to think?”

Tony shrugged, using his left hand to loosen the bowtie around his neck a bit. ”That, maybe, you left and they realized that they miss you and that they want to see you again.”

Peter swallowed and shrugged. He wouldn’t meet Tony’s eyes.

”Doubting their motives is no reason not to go in there. Just … try, okay? You’re …” He reached out and his hand brushed through Peter’s hair, settling at the back of his neck. Peter followed the silent request, finally looking at Tony. ”You need more friends your age. You can’t spend all your time with us old people. You’re supposed to hate that, remember? Being a teenager and all.”

That got a small smile out of Peter. ”Yeah, I guess,” he whispered. ”I’m just … I feel like …”

It was almost dark in the car, only the street lamps throwing soft lights through the windows. Tony was going to be late for the reception. It didn’t really matter, he thought, because … priorities. 

Peter looked pained, his eyes catching a point somewhere above Tony’s right shoulder. ”I’m starting to feel like … nobody’s interested in Peter Parker, you know? They all want Peter … Peter Stark.”

Tony was beginning to understand. ”Peter …,” he started, but there was nothing he could say, really. Nothing that would make this go away. Peter _was_ Tony Stark’s adoptive son. To the world outside, that was all he was, no matter how much more he was to Tony himself.

Tightening his fingers gently, Tony squeezed the base of Peter’s nape affectionately. He’d found that Peter seemed to like that simple contact, maybe even found it grounding. 

Peter sighed. ”I’ve got … no problem with people looking at me. I can do public speaking. I did it on the decathlon team. I just … I get nervous when people just … approach me and think …” He put his head in his hands, his voice slightly muffled as he said, ”It’s like they think I belong to them or owe them. And I …” He raised his head but, again, didn’t look at Tony. ”I don’t know what to do with that.” When he looked at Tony, his eyes were wet. He wiped his cheek and turned his head away. 

”Kid,” Tony said, ”I’ll give it to you straight, okay?” He cleared his throat. “I can only hope that all this will calm down a bit once the adoption is through but I can’t promise you that. I _can’t_. People get obsessed over the craziest little things and one month, they might ignore you completely and the next, you’ll be splattered all over the tabloids. That’s how it’s going to be.”

Peter pulled his shoulders up in defeat. 

Tony moved his hand from the back of Peter’s neck to his shoulder and ducked down a little to be able to look at him. “Don’t do anything you’re uncomfortable with, decline politely and walk away.” 

”They’ll call me a jerk,” Peter whispered.

”That is _their_ attitude problem. Don’t make it _yours_ ,” Tony said. ”Look, I could hire a bodyguard but that would only draw more attention.”

Peter shook his head hurriedly. ”No, no, I … that’s not what I want.” He wiped his eyes again and then visibly startled when the clock on the dashboard caught his eyes. ”Oh God, I’m sorry. You’re gonna be late for your thing.”

”Do I look like I care?” Tony asked. ”Take a minute.” 

Peter nodded slowly and leaned back in his seat, breathing deeply. He wiped his cheeks with the sleeves of his denim jacket, clearing his throat. ”Sorry.” 

”No need.” Tony tilted his head, hesitating for a moment before he squeezed his eyes shut and decided to trade a bit of his own vulnerability for Peter’s. ”I’m a mess, too.”

”You’re not the one crying.”

”Maybe not,” Tony said. ”But I’m the one with the nightmares and the worst-case scenarios. I’m the one who calls his lawyer at two in the morning four times a week just to make sure that everything is going well and that he has back-up plans in case something goes wrong. Because I have nightmares in which I am told that I can’t keep you.” He sighed in annoyance. ”I hate not being able to do anything.”

Peter gave a small smile. ”Joel deserves a raise.”

Tony laughed. ”You should see the bills he sends me. His after-midnight tariffs are horrifying. And I’m pretty sure I interrupted, like, three date nights, so his husband _hates_ me.” Peter laughed and Tony waited a few more moments, willing his own racing heart to calm. ”I know it feels like people are not actually seeing you right now,” he said then, ”but you’ll get through this. I know how you feel.”

”Really?” Peter asked. 

Tony nodded. ”For a long time, I was just … people saw just my dad when they looked at me or my dad’s company. Not me.”

”What did you do?” Peter asked.

Tony shrugged. ”I found my own thing. Though it took a while. I stopped following the same path my father chose with the company and instead created something different.”

Peter looked away. ”Sounds hard.”

”It is.” Tony caught Peter’s eyes. ”But you have time, okay?” 

Peter sighed. He didn’t look happy at all, but finally nodded. ”Yeah, okay.”

“Good. Now go in there then and have fun. Happy’ll pick you up later.”

Peter opened the door and paused, looking back. ”Thanks, Tony.”

”No problem, kid.”

”No, it is.” Peter swallowed. ”I mean, it’s not … a given … to get along and … some families don’t. And I just wanted to make sure you know that I … appreciate it.”

Tony was still caught up in the fact that Peter had referred to them as family so casually, so he didn’t even really notice at first when Peter slid out of the passenger seat and said “Love you” before shutting the door and hurrying towards the house. The words only really registered when Tony had turned the first corner, long after Peter had entered the house. 

His heart skipped a beat and pulled the car over, letting the engine idle while he came to terms with it. 

_Love you._

Something warm and heavy settled in Tony chest and then his breath caught. He hadn’t even answered, he realized, had just driven off. He wondered for a moment whether Peter had even meant to say it or whether it had just … slipped out. It didn’t really matter, though, did it? Tony still hadn’t answered.

He leaned his forehead against the steering wheel. 

_Love you._

He straightened and reached to the backseat, getting his cellphone out of his suit jacket. There were three text messages from Pepper reminding him to be on time, but he ignored them in favor of opening his and Peter’s chat. _I love you, too_ he typed and then his finger hovered over the _‘Send’_ button. 

Suddenly, it seemed wrong not to say it to Peter’s face. He deleted the message. 

_Have fun, buddy_ , he wrote instead and hit _‘Send’_. He wanted to put the phone away, but paused, adding another message quickly: _I’m proud of you._

***

“Peter,” Liz said, her face breaking out into a smile when she opened the door, ”you came!”

Peter smiled weakly, feeling a bout of well-known nerves settle into his chest. Liz was stunning as always, her dark hair shining in the low lights of the hallway behind her. She was wearing a red sweater Peter had never seen on her, paired with a casually ripped pair of jeans which sat low on her hips. Peter had had a crush on Liz from the first moment he’d seen her. He knew, though, that he wasn’t the only one and he had never tried to ask her out. It had always seemed impossible for her to agree. He pushed his hands into his jeans pockets to keep them from fidgeting. ”Yeah, I … hi.”

Liz stepped aside. ”Come in. It’s great you’re here,” she said. Peter followed her down a dimly-lit corridor into a modern, yet comfy home. The spacious living room to his left was empty, though the tv was on, showing a football match. ”We’ve been missing you in the team,” Liz said. “The others are in my room. I just wanted to get some popcorn.” She pulled him into a kitchen that had the same modern, yet homey feel to it as the rest of the house. A man around Tony’s age was standing at the kitchen island, putting together a sandwich. ”Peter, this is my dad,” Liz said, opening one of the cupboards to get a bowl out.

The man looked at him critically, his blue eyes piercing. He wasn’t what Peter had imagined at all whenever Liz had mentioned her parents in passing. He seemed strict, somehow. Not like the doting kind of dad Liz had always described. ”Peter,” he said and bit into the sandwich. 

”Sir,” Peter replied, clearing his throat when the word came out a bit shaky.

Liz was pouring popcorn into the bowl. ”Peter used to go to school with us. He was on the decathlon team.”

”Yeah, you mentioned,” her dad said, his eyes not leaving Peter’s. ”So … you’re the kid who lives with Stark.”

Peter nodded. ”Yes, sir.”

”How’s that going? He strikes me as an arrogant ass.”

”Dad,” Liz hissed. ”You _promised_.”

Her father kept looking at Peter intently.

Peter swallowed. ”He’s … Tony’s great. He’s really nice to me.”

Liz’s father kept staring at him, as if trying to find a hint that Peter was lying.

“He’s there for me, supportive,” Peter said, not knowing what he wanted to hear. 

Liz bumped her father with her shoulder. ”Don’t grill him, dad.”

”Sorry, gumdrop,” he answered and smiled down at her. Peter was taken aback at how different he looked all of a sudden, his strict features melting into fondness. ”Have fun, alright? I’ll see you in a few days.”

”Love you,” she answered, hugging him. 

He kissed her head. ”Love you, too.”

Peter ducked his head and crossed his arms. The moment slammed home far more than he liked to admit. His mumbled words to Tony outside had been more of an accident than intention. Peter didn’t quite know what to do about them now that they were out in the open. Tony hadn’t answered in kind, but Peter hadn’t really given him a chance to. As soon as the words had slipped out, he’d panicked and made for the house. It scared him a little how natural it had felt to tell Tony that he loved him. It also felt like a betrayal to May and Ben, though.

Liz motioned for Peter to follow her and he turned towards her dad one last time. ”Bye, Mr. Toomes.”

”Nice meeting you, Pedro.”

They left the kitchen and Liz huffed a breath. ”Sorry, he …” She stopped and looked at him. ”He has an issue with Stark.”

Peter raised his eyebrows. ”Oh?” 

”Yeah, something about a big deal being snatched away from him a few years ago, after the battle. He’s in the construction business.”

Peter nodded. ”It’s fine.” They took the stairs to the first floor. 

Liz stopped suddenly and looked at him, the popcorn bowl pressed against her belly. ”Peter, I … I just wanted to let you know that I’m … I’m really sorry about … about your aunt.”

”I … thank you.”

”How are you?”

He shrugged. ”It’s okay. It wasn’t really, for a while, but … I’m … getting better. Tony’s been … he’s been really good.”

She nodded. ”I’m glad.” She looked as if she wanted to say something else, but then she just huffed a short laugh and shook her head. She rounded a corner and entered through the first door. ”Hey, guys, Peter’s here.”

Peter found himself standing awkwardly near the door while several faces turned to look at him. Ned, Michelle, Abe and Cindy were gathered in the corner of the room that housed the tv. Michelle and Abe were sharing the couch while Cindy and Ned had settled on some pillows and blankets on the floor.

It was quiet for a long moment and Peter pulled his shoulders up a bit, ducking his head. ”Hi.”

Ned smiled at him and gave him a quick thumbs-up that had heat rush into Peter’s cheeks. 

Michelle bit into her sandwich. ”Don’t just stand there, loser,” she said. ”Get over here so we can start the movie.” 

”MJ,” Ned hissed, bumping her knee with his shoulder.

”What?” she asked, brushing crumbs off her shirt. ”I have a curfew.”

Abe held up a can of coke. ”You want a drink, Peter?”

Liz motioned Peter towards the couch, taking a seat in a beanbag off to the side. Peter sat down next to Abe, curling his legs onto the couch. He shrugged out of his jacket to drape it over the back of the couch and smiled at Cindy when she handed him a bowl of chips.

They were thirty minutes into _Jurassic World_ by the time Peter realized that he hadn’t paid attention to even one word spoken on the screen. He was too busy listening to the others laugh about things that had happened at school and soaking up bits and pieces of the stories they told, keeping quiet. 

One hour into the movie and Peter was laughing along with them and Liz was showing him pictures of the decathlon team in Washington, pictures of them with the trophy they’d received for winning the nationals.

”It’s not the same without you, though,” Liz said and Abe nodded. 

Cindy stretched out one leg to poke his thigh. “You gonna join Rochester’s team now? They’ll have an actual chance to kick our asses if you do.”

Peter shrugged and smiled sadly. He didn’t quite know what to say. He had considered joining Rochester’s decathlon team and had even gone as far as approaching their team captain about it, but he hadn’t decided for sure, yet. 

It would be awkward to compete against his old team.

It got quiet, everyone watching the movie for a few minutes. 

Liz cleared her throat. ”You know,” she said, ”I could add you to our group chat? So you know when we’ll meet up the next time.”

”Yeah,” he said. ”Okay.” 

She smiled. Nobody mentioned Tony even once. Peter was kind of relieved.

***

“You’re late,” Pepper said instead of a greeting, her face betraying that she was annoyed but not overly so. She had probably expected nothing less. “You missed the speech.”

Tony looked around the crowd which had followed Mayor Lewin’s invitation to Gracie Mansion. There weren’t too many people here, maybe around seventy, and they were gathered in the first floor’s ballroom of the Federal style building. The soft lights thrown by the grand chandelier played off the powder-blue walls, the guests mingling among the 19th century artwork displayed on the walls or wandering off to the adjacent room where the buffet was set up. The location befitted the attendants. Tony easily recognized several influential New Yorkers. It looked like Mayor Lewin intended to woo the upper class of the city. 

Tony sipped on his wine. “I can’t imagine that he said anything he didn’t say before.” 

Pepper frowned disapprovingly at him. She was wearing a red one-shoulder dress, which hugged her slim figure, her blond hair cascading down her shoulders. As always, she managed to look stunning, elegant and confident in one. “It’s a matter of courtesy.”

”Couldn’t be helped,” Tony answered. 

Lewin chose this moment to approach them with a young, strict-looking woman by his side. ”Tony Stark,” he said with a bright smile lighting up his features. “I’m so happy you could make it.” They shook hands.

Lewin was thirty-six, Tony knew, a studied lawyer, married and he had a young child. He was good-looking, charming and charismatic enough to easily sway votes to his side. His opponents had claimed that he was too young and inexperienced, but Lewin had proven himself to be whip-smart and determined. He was also brave enough to make the implementation of the Registration Act for enhanced individuals part of his election campaign, speaking out for its necessity while refusing to see enhanced people as dangerous by nature. Tony had not voted for Lewin, had not wanted the Registration Act in New York, but Lewin was probably not the worst person to have the position of mayor. 

”Congratulations to the election,” Tony said. 

”Thank you. Well,” Lewin smiled and gave a one-shouldered shrug. ”We will have to see whether I can live up to the hype, won’t we?” He looked around. ”Did you bring your son tonight?” 

”Not tonight, no,” Tony answered. ”He’s at a movie night with some friends.”

Lewin laughed. ”To be young and able to turn down invitations to stiff parties.” He inclined his head at Pepper. ”Miss Potts, a pleasure to see you again.”

She smiled at him. 

Lewin then turned his attention to the young woman by his side. ”Have you met Samantha Hopson yet?”

”In fact I haven’t,” Tony answered, smiling at her. 

She had short blond hair and brown eyes. The long-sleeved, green dress she wore was rather conservative, making her appear unusually strict for her young age. Her shy smile at Tony was pretty, though, lighting up her whole face. ”It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Stark.” She looked at Pepper. “Miss Potts.” 

Lewin explained, ”Miss Hopson won the city contract for the Registration Act.”

”Impressive,” Pepper said. ”Congratulations.” 

Hopson looked pleased with the compliment, a light blush appearing on her cheeks. “Actually, my lab won the contract. It wasn’t just me alone. I am the founder and CEO of Janus Labs.” 

Tony raked his brain for the name but came up empty. 

Hopson seemed to notice that. “I doubt you’ve heard of us. We’re a small player, really.” 

”Well, that might change now,” Tony replied. 

Lewin nodded. ”Mr. Stark, if I may have a word.” Before Tony could answer, Lewin had already stepped closer and guided him off to the side with a hand on his shoulder. ”I know you’re no longer part of the Sokovia Accords committee because you had doubts regarding the Registration Act.”

Tony nodded. ”When I supported the accords, I didn’t mean for the world to see all enhanced people as a threat.” 

Lewin looked at him earnestly. ”I can imagine that you’re not my biggest fan for implementing the Registration Act in New York. I just wanted to assure you that I intend to make this a fair, humane process. Samantha as well as I don’t believe that enhanced humans pose a threat just because of their powers.” He cleared his throat and smiled at a passing couple. ”I think it was a mistake of the committee to exclude you and I’d like to see you as a reliable partner in the implementation of the city’s Registration Act.”

Tony frowned in confusion. ”Meaning?” 

”I was hoping you might be able to point some … popular enhanced humans our way? To … encourage others.” 

Tony huffed a laugh and sipped on his wine. ”Are you telling me you’re looking for a poster boy?”

”Someone like Spider-Man might be of interest. He’s well-liked, friendly and-“

”Has a secret identity,” Tony finished. ”Besides, he’s taking a break.”

”Should he be worried about any legal problems, we’d be willing to overlook his vigilante status and make him a reliable partner to New York’s finest.”

”I’ll shoot him a text,” Tony said, ”but I doubt he’ll agree.” 

Lewin nodded, his face pulled into a forced smile. He clapped Tony’s shoulder. ”It was nice meeting you.” 

”Likewise.” Tony smiled at him as Lewin faded back into the crowd, taking Hopson with him. 

He returned to Pepper, who looked at him curiously. ”What did he want?”

”Not important.” 

She frowned at him but before she could say something, Norman Osborn sidled up beside her, his eyes on Lewin and Hopson as they joined a small group of people near the fireplace. ”He’s certainly not afraid to show off his prize.”

Pepper looked up at him. ”So you know her?”

”Hopson used to work for me,” Norman answered, one hand tucked into the trouser pocket of his suit. ”I have to admit that he couldn’t have made a better choice. She’s a brilliant young lady, one of the first to go into enhanced genetics.”

Tony smirked. ”And you let her get away?” 

”She wanted to leave. Felt she could make more headway with her research on her own. It was all very sudden, to be honest. I always thought it had to do with her brother’s illness.”

”What’s wrong with him?” Tony asked.

”Some kind of immune deficiency. He can’t be around people because he gets ill easily. A simple cold could kill him. I don’t think anybody has seen him in over a year.” He sighed. ”Anyway, it’s a shame about the contract. I wanted to get my hands on that registry.”

Tony narrowed his eyes at him. ”To do experiments on human beings?”

”Don’t be dramatic,” Norman answered, rolling his eyes. ”Samples are taken when an enhanced human registers and, yes, those samples are used for tests. The lab is not allowed to call them back in for more tests, though. It’s all very clean.” He pinned Tony with a challenging look. “I see the cure for cancer in those people, Tony. The cure for Alzheimer’s. A way to make us live longer, be stronger and healthier. And that’s just for starters. They’re our future.”

Tony scoffed. ”Not everyone is of that opinion.”

”I’m aware,” Norman said with a shrug. ”But you have to admit, it’s not like people don’t have a reason to be scared with everything that’s been going on in the last few years. The registry might help making people feel safer.” 

”Which side?” Tony asked. ”The one with powers or the one without?”

”You’re just mad other people get to play in your sandbox, Tony. Not everybody has superhumans at their disposal.” 

Tony bristled. ”What?” 

”Don’t pretend. Do you want to tell me that you never tested the limits of your teammate’s abilities?”

Tony bit his cheek, swallowing an angry answer. ”That is completely different.”

”Is it?”

”Boys,” Pepper said calmly, ”behave.” 

Tony turned to set his glass down on the tray of a passing waiter. When he turned back around, he froze, noticing Norman’s arm around Pepper’s waist. It was a small gesture and Norman seemed to notice just one moment later what he’d done and dropped his hand quickly, clearing his throat and avoiding Tony’s eyes. 

Pepper looked startled. 

However, Tony felt like the reason for her surprise wasn’t the gesture … it was that Tony had seen it. His heart sank. It was true that him and Pepper had been split for a while but … he’d always thought … ”Right,” he said slowly, understanding the implications. ”I think I’ve been here long enough.” He turned away and strode through the crowd. 

Pepper caught up with him at the top of the stairs. ”Tony.” 

He turned around to her. 

”I meant to tell you.”

”But you didn’t.”

”It was just a few dates.”

Tony nodded, a bitter smile pulling at his lips. The words escaped before he could stop them. ”I just hope you kept it strictly private.”

She stared at him, her blue eyes narrowing in anger. ”Are you implying I would reveal Stark Industries information to a competitor?”

Tony sighed, realizing that he’d gone too far. ”I … sorry.” 

”I hope so,” Pepper answered. 

He ducked his head.

It was quiet for a moment, then Pepper softly said, ”I had to move on, Tony. You should as well.”


	3. Chapter 3

**JULY 2017**

Peter had fallen asleep after the third episode of _Big Bang Theory_ , curled up on the bed next to Ned’s legs. Ned sat against the headboard for a while, not really looking at the screen, Peter’s heartbreak and the reality, the actual _impact_ of May’s death on Peter’s – on Ned’s – life running around his head. 

“Ned?” He looked up at his mother, who was hovering near the door. Her face twisted into a sad expression when she saw Peter and she came closer, leaning down to stroke her fingers over Peter’s brow and drop a kiss against his temple. She looked at Ned and whispered, “I’m gonna go. Mr. Stark offered to let you stay for a couple of days or … however long Peter wants to. Behave, okay?” 

He nodded jerkily and felt her kiss his head before she turned to leave. ”Mom?”

She stopped and turned back around to him. ”Yes?” 

”Shouldn’t … shouldn’t we _do_ something? Take him in?” He swallowed. ”We have to take him in.”

His mother settled on the edge of the bed. ”Ned, Mr. Stark is going to adopt Peter.”

”What?” 

”Peter accepted.”

”No,” Ned said, shaking his head. ”No, he just did that because we weren’t there. If we’d been there … no, he _can’t_.” 

”Ned-”

”If he does that, I won’t see Peter ever again.”

”Ned,” his mother said, a bit stricter. She kept her voice low, but her eyebrows were drawn together, a warning. ”Don’t be silly. He’s not kidnapping him.” She took a breath. ”He is very serious about this. I think … it would be good for Peter to have the full attention of somebody in his life. He needs that right now. Between you and your brother, I’m not sure we would be able to give that to him.”

”He’ll take him out of Midtown High, out of Queens, won’t he? He’ll take him away.” 

She smiled. ”I’m sure that won’t stop the both of you.” She got up. ”I need to head back. It’s a long drive. Text me, okay?” She waved at him and left. 

Ned sat on the bed for a while, lost in thought, then he looked at the clock. It was already rather late in the afternoon, turning to evening. He felt nauseous and not really hungry, but it was important to keep Peter fed, so he slid off the bed carefully and went down the stairs. The corridor at the end of the stairs was long and white, oddly sterile, with only a few doors forking off. He heard voices from the doorway located at the end of the hallway and followed them.

”I hated Rochester,” he heard Mr. Stark say as he drew closer and he slowed his steps.

”You went there?” another male voice asked.

”For two months. I’m pretty sure alarms will go off when I step on the premises.”

The other man laughed. ”I can imagine that teenager Tony was a terror.”

”Tony in general is,” was the answer. There was a pause. ”Shit. I just realized that I’m screwed. I’m so unprepared for this, Rhodey.”

Ned halted at the door, unsure whether he should interrupt. He was looking into a luxurious, brightly-lit kitchen which was directly connected to a living room with comfy couches and large bookshelves. The light of the sinking sun was shining through panorama windows and a big patio door. Mr. Stark was slumped in a seat at the kitchen island, while none other than Colonel Rhodes – _War Machine_ – was standing near the fridge, leaning back against the counter.

”I should have asked Ned’s mother more questions. Should I set a bedtime? Should I check his homework? What kind of doctor appointments do I need to make? Does he still need a pediatrician? What about school? What kind of questions should I ask when talking to his teachers? What about bake sales?” He stared at Colonel Rhodes in despair. ”I don’t know how to make muffins, Rhodey.”

”Okay,” Colonel Rhodes answered, raising one hand in a placating gesture. ”Calm down. Look, it’s still summer break. There’s time to figure stuff out. I’ll help you. _I_ know how to make muffins.” 

”Hello, young man,” somebody behind Ned said and he jumped a foot in the air.

”Oh my God,” he gasped. Then he recognized the person behind him and his eyes widened. ”Oh my _God_.”

”Vision,” Mr. Stark said, ”don’t scare our guest.”

Vision turned his attention down to Ned. ”I apologize.” He walked past Ned into the kitchen, leaving him to stare after him, stunned. He knew that Vision was some kind of android. Actually seeing him in person, though, was a whole different story. Oddly enough, he was dressed like some kind of suburban dad, the dark sweater clashing oddly with his red skin.

Mr. Stark cleared his throat. ”Kid, meet Vision and James Rhodes. Guys, this is Peter’s friend Ned.”

”Hey, kid,” Colonel Rhodes said. 

Ned raised a hand in an awkward wave. ”Yeah, hi.” He stared at the three of them gathered around the kitchen island. Three Avengers, standing in a kitchen as if they were normal people.

Mr. Stark tilted his head. ”You’re not gonna faint, are you?”

”Me?” Ned asked. ”No, I … am not sure.”

Vision pulled a confused face about the answer, while Colonel Rhodes laughed. ”What can we do for you?”

”Uh …” Ned pointed upwards in a vague reference to Peter. ”I was wondering about dinner?”

Vision inclined his head. ”I was intending to start preparing-”

”We’ll order pizza,” Colonel Rhodes interrupted him. ”I’m in the mood for pizza.”

Vision looked at him. ”I can make pizza.”

”Let’s order,” Colonel Rhodes said. ”You’ve been cooking all week, you deserve a break.”

Vision looked at him, taken aback. Then he folded his hands on his back and inclined his head in acceptance. ”That’s very kind.” 

Colonel Rhodes and Mr. Stark exchanged a look of relief that Ned didn’t quite understand, then Mr. Stark got up and approached him. ”Is Peter asleep?”

Ned nodded.

”Let’s take a walk,” Mr. Stark said, nodding towards the patio door at the other end of the open-plan living area. Ned swallowed nervously and followed him outside.

The evening was warm, the sun slowly starting to dip out of sight behind the trees of the forest surrounding the facility. From this part of the garden, Ned couldn’t see the other buildings. This was obviously a private area of the Avengers Compound. There were two hammocks set up and a table with chairs close to a small pond. Ned noticed a grill and several small gardening patches in which tomatoes, strawberries and herbs were growing. Mr. Stark led him past all that and to a bench set up at the very edge of the garden, near the fence separating the facility from the forest. He settled down, waiting for Ned to sit next to him awkwardly.

For a moment, they were silent. Ned was thinking about what he’d heard in the kitchen, the insecurities Mr. Stark had spilled and he felt anger creep up on him. He didn’t quite know how to address the feeling, though, didn’t quite know _why_ he felt that way … so he waited, his hands fisted against the wood of the bench.

Finally, Mr. Stark turned sideways to look at him, one leg folded underneath him. ”Did Peter or your mother talk to you?” he asked. ”About … where we go from here?” His dark eyes looked strangely tired and his hair was disheveled. 

Ned felt some of his anger bleed out of him. ”You mean the adoption?”

”Yeah, the adoption,” Mr. Stark continued. ”Are you … alright with it?”

Ned frowned in confusion. ”Are you … asking for my permission or something?”

Mr. Stark sighed. ”Peter … said he’s okay with it.” He looked at Ned. ”Do you think that’s true?”

Ned raised his eyebrows. ”You’re asking _me_?”

”You’re his friend. I’m just … making sure.” He grimaced and let out a sigh. ”I’m not sure.”

Ned looked at him for a long moment and took a deep breath, channeling his anger into one simple sentence. ”Peter _needs_ you to be sure.”

Mr. Stark stared at him. He didn’t understand, Ned could see it. 

He huffed a breath. ” _I_ need you to be sure. Because if you’re not and you’re pulling out of the whole thing now … he won’t blame you. He’ll tell you that it’s okay. Peter’s nice like that and he doesn’t have a lot self-confidence or self-esteem. So he’ll say that it’s fine.” He made sure to catch Mr. Stark’s eyes. “But it’ll break him.” 

”I’m not-”

”I heard you, in the kitchen,” Ned said. He didn’t know where he took the courage from to speak like that to someone like Mr. Stark, but he kept going. ”Peter’s a good guy and he’s lost way too many people. This is too important for you to just … opt out. I know you’re Iron Man and that you know a lot of enhanced people and that you could send Black Widow or Hulk or Spider-Man after me, but Peter is my _best friend_. He’s practically my _brother_. You can’t hurt him like that.”

Mr. Stark raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth, but Ned beat him to it.

”I let him down this week, Mr. Stark, I let him down real bad and he forgives people who do that to keep them close. He shouldn’t. But he does.” He felt tears in his eyes and blinked them away quickly. “I let him down, so you can’t. You just … can’t.”

Mr. Stark stared at him. 

It was quiet for a long moment which seemed to stretch into hours. Ned’s hands felt clammy, his heart beating against his chest frantically as he realized that he’d just spoken to an _Avenger_ that way. 

_To Iron Man._

But he didn’t apologize. He’d spoken the truth, after all. 

Finally, Mr. Stark huffed a laugh. ”That felt like a shovel talk.”

Ned just looked at him, standing his ground.

”I wasn’t planning on letting him down, okay, kid? I’m …” He took a deep breath and ducked his head, brushing his hands down his face. “Damn. Okay, listen.” He looked at Ned, a determined look etched into his face that looked painful. ”I’m scared.”

Ned was surprised by the admission, staring at him. 

”Yes. This is _terrifying_ me.” He swallowed visibly and looked away, his lips stretching into a slight smile. ”But so did flying into a wormhole with a rocket in my hands or seeing the Stark Expo fall apart.”

Ned grimaced. ”I don’t think that’s the right kind of comparison to make.”

”My point being,” Mr. Stark continued, ”I’m still going to do it.” He ducked his head. ”But I need you …” He nodded slowly before meeting Ned’s eyes again solemnly. ”I need you to be fine with this because you’re Peter’s friend and … I might need your help every now and again.” He laughed nervously. ”Because I’ve got no idea what I’m doing.”

Ned sighed. ”With Peter, it’s not hard, Mr. Stark.” He hesitated before he added, ”He really likes you, you know? Not just as Iron Man, he … he really likes … _you_.”

Mr. Stark looked touched. ”I really like him, too. And I want him to be happy.”

”He’s not gonna be, for a while, no matter what you do. It took him so long to get over his uncle’s death and he … his aunt was his everything.”

Mr. Stark ducked his head. ”What can I do to help?”

”Just … be there.” 

Mr. Stark looked at him for a long moment and then back towards the house. They sat outside until Colonel Rhodes called them in for dinner. 

***

**MARCH 2018**

MJ’s mother picked her up first and Abe and Cindy, who lived not far from each other, were picked up by Cindy’s father not long after. While Liz saw Abe and Cindy out, Peter had told Ned that he wanted to talk to him alone, so they said their goodbyes as well and waited in front of Liz’s house for Ned’s mother and Happy to arrive. 

Ned had noticed that Peter was a bit distracted at the start of the evening, checking his phone every so often and staring at the screen forlornly. He hadn’t wanted to ask him what was wrong in front of the others, suspecting that whatever was bothering Peter was of a private nature. He’d expected having to dig for the information, but was surprised how quickly Peter told him what was going on once they’d left Liz’s house. 

Almost as soon as they’d settled on the edge of the sidewalk together, he blurted out, ”I said ‘Love you’.”

Ned stared at him for a long moment, then he replied, ”I’m gonna need some context.”

Peter’s shoulders dropped and he picked up a twig, fiddling with it as he explained, ”When Tony dropped me off, I got out of the car and I … said ‘Love you’.” He sighed. ”It was the first time.”

“Oh,” Ned said. ”Okay.” 

”It just slipped out.”

Ned leaned back on his hands. ”What did he say?”

”He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t really have time to. I said it and then I … panicked and just left. He just … texted me later, but … I don’t know.” He shrugged and looked over his shoulder at Ned. ”Do you … do you think it’s …” He winced. “… _normal_ … to say that? Maybe I freaked him out.”

Ned shifted, crossing his legs and leaning his elbows on his knees, watching Peter’s fingers picking the twig apart. ”I guess it’s normal. If that’s how you feel.”

”I’m just …“ Peter swallowed. ”I feel like I should feel guilty but I don’t, really. It’s not like I’m going to call him ‘dad’ or something. It’s not like I love Ben or my dad any less. Or May or my mom.” He sighed and ducked his head. “I don’t know why it even slipped out. I … I guess I hoped he would say it, too? But I don’t know … I mean ... I know he likes me and we get along but … that’s not the same as him … _right_?”

Ned shrugged. ”Maybe you should ask him.”

”No way,” Peter said, his eyes wide in shock. ”Are you mad? How pathetic would that make me sound?”

”It’s a valid question, isn’t it?”

”It’s a pathetic question.”

” _Valid_.”

Peter sighed, then, very softly, asked, ”What if he doesn’t?”

”Then he’s an idiot,” Ned replied, ”and he’ll have to answer to me.”

Peter stared at him for a moment in shock, then his lips stretched into a smile and he giggled. 

Ned broke out into a smile in response. ”I’m serious. He’s scared of me.”

Peter laughed, bumping his shoulder against Ned’s and staying there, leaning against him as they calmed down. ”I’m glad I came tonight.”

”I’m glad you came, too.” Ned looked at his shoes. ”Sometimes, I think you’ll forget about us.” He was smiling jokingly but there was a tiny grain of truth to his statement and Peter seemed to see right through to it.

His expression sobered, becoming solemn. ”Never gonna happen. I just … I needed some time and …” He shrugged. ”Tonight was good because … I didn’t … recently, I feel like everything is about the adoption but in a bad way. Like … people only care about me because I’m Tony’s kid.”

Ned didn’t know what to say to that so kept quiet, watching a car pass by.

”Like … Pepper asked me to do a speech.”

”What for?”

”There’s this mini-expo planned for the summer break and apparently, the board thinks it would be a good idea for me to speak because it’s for kids and teenagers.”

”Sounds cool.”

”Yeah, but they wouldn’t ask me if I wasn’t living with Tony. Harry says it’s not really optional. That I should just read the speech they give me and be glad it’s over.”

”Harry is an idiot,” Ned answered. ”They can’t _force_ you.”

”I think he’s right, though,” Peter said softly. ”I know they wouldn’t force me but it’s also kind of not optional. I have to get involved in this kind of stuff, don’t I? If the adoption goes through and … I become a part of all this.” 

Ned released a breath. ”I really don’t know, man. Did you talk to Tony about all of this?”

Peter nodded. “He gets it because of how all everybody cared about was his dad’s legacy and not really Tony, but he said it got better once he found his own thing.” He shrugged. “So, I just need to find my _thing_.”

Ned frowned in confusion. ”Your _thing_? What does that even mean?”

Peter sighed. “No idea.”

Ned hummed thoughtfully, then he said, ”It’s cool, though, that there will be another expo. I just hope the tickets aren’t as crazy expensive as the last time.”

Peter nodded. ”May and Ben saved up for our tickets for months because I really wanted to go. Told them they didn’t have to get me anything for Christmas.” He looked down at the twig in hands, pulling another layer off to drop it on the tarmac. Suddenly, he stopped moving, freezing completely, his eyes wide.

”You okay?” Ned asked, nudging him gently. 

Peter turned his head to look at him. ”Yes.”

”Because you have that look on your face like that time you talked me into setting up a chem lab in our basement. You know? The one that turned out to be a really bad idea?”

Peter smiled and got out his phone. ”Well this,” he said, ”is a really good one.”

Ned drew his eyebrows together in doubt while Peter tapped out a message. ”Is it?”

”Yeah,” Peter answered. ”Definitely.”

***

Tony had come home way past midnight. He’d been driving around aimlessly after the party, battling the instinctual need for a drink or two … or ten. He’d sworn off the old habit of finding solace in a bottle when Peter had come into his life, not wanting him to see Tony with alcohol in his hands as often as Tony remembered seeing Howard with it. Aside from the occasional glass of wine, Tony did not drink these days anymore and he was proud of that accomplishment. 

Nevertheless, he still woke up with a headache when his cellphone rang on the bedside table. Tony grabbed it to look at the display and muttered a “F.R.I.D.A.Y., blinds” as he identified Natasha as the caller. Whatever reason she was calling for, it couldn’t be good. 

While the blinds of his room slowly opened, showing New York just starting a cloudy day, he answered the phone sleepily, ”Hey.” 

_”Hey,”_ she replied, sounding tense. There was a lot of noise in the background: people talking, some sort of announcement being made. _”I can’t talk long, but I think you should know that I lost Wilson.”_

Tony sat up a little straighter, immediately on alert. ”What do you mean?” After Wade Wilson had cornered Peter in the school’s parking lot last year, Tony had asked Natasha to keep an eye on him, just to make sure that he wasn’t around without Tony knowing. Wilson hadn’t shown the inclination to hurt Peter, but he wasn’t exactly sane, so Tony wanted to make sure. Natasha had accepted the task and kept tabs on Wilson since, sending Tony status reports every now and again of where Wilson’s alter ego Deadpool was last seen and what he was up to.

As far as Tony could tell, he was constantly on the road and he left dead bodies wherever he went.

_”I had no trouble keeping up with his activities for the last few months, even from afar. He’s not overly subtle,”_ she answered. _”And then Seattle happened. I lost track of him, so I went there and I can’t dig him up again. He’s just … gone.”_

Tony swallowed. ”You’re going to tell me it’s a bad sign, right?”

_”I wouldn’t call you if it was a good one,”_ she said. _”It’s unusual for Deadpool not to draw attention. Not if you know who to ask or where to look. There are no hits bearing his MO, no sightings. It’s like he just vanished. It’s possible Weapon X took him out but you and I both know he is kinda hard to kill.”_ She paused. _“I can’t spare more time looking for him right now, that’s the reason I’m calling. To let you know. I’ll call as soon as I’m free again.”_ She hesitated. _”Sorry, Tony.”_

With that, she hung up, leaving Tony with an uneasy feeling of dread twisting his stomach. He frowned, looking down at his phone. ”Where are you, Wilson?” he asked. ”What are you up to?”

One glance at the clock showed him that Peter would have to get up in a few minutes for school, so Tony got out of bed and headed down the hallway towards Peter’s room to wake him before the alarm could go off. He knocked on the door and pushed it open slowly, freezing when he saw that Peter’s bed was unoccupied and neatly made. The door to Peter’s bathroom was open and only the fact that his backpack for school was gone told Tony that he had been here last night at all.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y., where’s Peter?”

_”He left half an hour ago, boss. He didn’t wish to disturb you.”_

”Where did he go so early in the morning?” Tony asked.

_”To see Miss Potts.”_

”What?” He frowned in confusion. ”Why?”

_”I wouldn’t know.”_

***

Peter found Harry where he usually was before the first bell; sitting at one of the stone tables in the farthest corner of the schoolyard smoking a cigarette. Peter clenched his hand around the envelope he was carrying before he set it down on the table. Harry looked up from his phone, at the envelope and then at Peter. The bruise around his eye was still dominant.

”1500$,” Peter said, nodding at the envelope. 

Harry’s dark eyes widened in surprise. ”No way, dude! Oh my God!” 

He reached for the envelope but Peter grabbed it before he could. He swallowed, meeting Harry’s confused gaze. ”What’s it for?”

”I told you-”

”That you owe a guy. What for?” 

He narrowed his eyes when Harry ducked his head away and stubbed out his cigarette, dropping it on the ground. 

”I’m giving you 1500$. I need to know what for.”

Harry scoffed. ”It’s no big deal.”

”Then you can tell me,” Peter persisted.

Harry looked at him for a long moment and finally crossed his arms on the table, giving in. ”Just a little kick.”

”A little kick?”

”To help me study,” Harry answered sharply. His expression was angry now. ”Focus.” 

Peter swallowed. ”For 1500$?”

”I needed a lot of focus.” He lit another cigarette. ”And the sum gained some interest while he was waiting for me to pay it back.”

Peter shook his head and dropped onto the bench opposite him, stunned. ”God, Harry. Do you have any idea how much trouble you could get into? How dangerous this kind of thing can be?”

”I swear …,” Harry said. ”Pete, I swear that I have it under control. I didn’t take anything since January. I stopped, okay?” 

Peter’s fingers clenched around the envelope. ”You’re not stupid, Harry. You don’t need that kind of help. Why would you _do_ this?”

Harry swallowed and he shook his head. ”I may not be stupid, but I’m not exactly my brilliant dad, either.” He huffed a breath. ”You know how it is.”

Peter shook his head. ”No, I don’t. I really don’t.”

”Fuck, are you that naïve?” Harry snapped and slammed his palm on the table. It must have hurt, but he didn’t show it, snarling at Peter instead, ”Stark and Osborn aren’t just _names_ , Pete, they’re _brands_. They’re linked to expectations.” He scoffed, his face showing disgust as he continued, “He didn’t take you in because he _wanted_ to. He did because you’re smart, because he doesn’t have kids and because you’re a good story. Stop pretending it’s anything else, that you’re some kind of unlikely, happy family. The press may love that shit right now but I find it disgusting.”

Peter felt his chest clench at the words, his anger rising. He took a deep breath. “I told you stop talking about him that way.”

”So, what? You gonna hit me?” Harry asked. ”Go on then. See if I don’t hit back.”

Peter stared at him in disbelief. The sun broke through the clouds, falling onto Harry’s features, and it was then that Peter noticed that his cheeks were unusually flushed. Harry’s hands were clawed and trembling, scratching over the denim jacket covering his forearms restlessly.

Something was _wrong_. 

His danger sense started a gentle buzz the longer he looked at Harry, whose face darkened increasingly. ”What?” he asked, getting up and hovering over Peter. ”Why are you staring at me?”

”You didn’t stop taking it,” Peter whispered.

”You know what?” Harry asked, grabbing his backpack. ”Fuck you.” He went to leave but Peter grabbed his arm. Harry snatched it out of his grip, but before he could snap at him, Peter held out the envelope. 

”Pay him,” he said. ”Take your time paying me back.”

Harry stared at him, not moving. 

”That guy hit you, Harry. Just … pay him.”

Harry glowered at him for a moment longer, then he snagged the money and left. 

***

Tony smiled at Pepper’s assistant Alex as he approached Pepper’s office. ”Is she available?” he asked. 

Alex, who always seemed to need to find his composure when he encountered Tony, nodded wordlessly, his green eyes wide. Tony took that as his clue to continue towards Pepper’s office, trying to suppress a smile at what he knew would happen next. As expected, Alex fell into a flurry of panic as he hurriedly tried to get up from his chair without strangling himself on his headset. ”Oh, no, Mr. Stark! I need to announce you.”

”No worries,” Tony called over his shoulder, opening the door to Pepper’s office and striding in. ”Hello.” 

She looked up from her computer while Alex entered behind Tony, miserably announcing, ”Miss Potts, Mr. Stark is here to see you.”

She sighed, sending Tony a reprimanding glare. ”Thank you, Alex.” She waited until Alex had closed the door before she asked, ”Do you _have_ to do that to him every single time?”

”It’s funny,” Tony answered.

”No, it’s not.” She got up and came around the desk. ”To what do I owe the pleasure of you barging in here?” 

”Stark Industries is moving,” Tony said. ”I won’t have many chances to do this anymore.”

Pepper raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms, leaning back against the desk. 

Tony tucked his hands into his jeans pockets. “A little bird told me that you had a meeting with Peter this morning?” He strolled towards the shelf taking up one entire wall, his fingers skimming over the backs of the books there.

”I drove him to school, yes,” Pepper said. ”I texted you to let you know.”

”I saw,” Tony said.

”He asked me to.”

”It’s fine.” He picked up a snow globe displaying the Eiffel Tower and shook it, keeping the snow in motion by trading the globe from one hand to the other and back again. “I was just wondering if there was a special occasion for this short-notice change of plans, since, originally, I was supposed to drive him.” 

Pepper tilted her head. ”What’s wrong?”

”Nothing.” 

”You’re fiddling,” she answered, pointing at the globe. ”Something’s wrong. You didn’t have a fight, did you? Peter didn’t mention anything.”

”No, we didn’t have a fight,” Tony answered and then hesitated. ”I think.” 

She frowned. ”You think?”

Tony shrugged. 

Pepper took the snow globe from him. ”You’re smudging the glass.”

Tony pulled a face at her when she turned away to set the snow globe back onto the shelf, and then cupped his whole hand over the glass of the globe in retribution while Pepper turned her back to take her seat behind the desk. ”Peter told me something yesterday,” he explained. ”And I might not have reacted too great.”

Pepper drew her eyebrows together. ”What did you say?”

”Nothing. That’s the problem.”

”What did _he_ say?”

Tony walked over to the desk and sank into one of the visitor chairs. ”I love you.”

”Tony …” Pepper sighed. ”It’s not that I don’t care about you but-”

”No, no, no,” he interrupted her. ”That’s what Peter said.”

She stared at him.

”To me.”

A fond smile crossed her pretty features. ”Aw, Tony.”

He rolled his eyes. ”Stop it.”

”That’s wonderful.”

”Yeah, but I didn’t say it back because he caught me by surprise. And then he left. I’m not sure he _intended_ to say it.”

Pepper sighed. ”How do you feel?”

He averted his eyes. ”I don’t know.”

”Yes, you do. It’s obvious, Tony. It’s been obvious from the start.”

Tony ducked his head.

”Just tell him,” Pepper said. ”It’ll be fine.”

”How can you be so sure?”

”Because Peter isn’t angry. He was in a good mood this morning, actually. He just wanted to talk about the expo.” 

Tony frowned in confusion. ”The expo?”

”Yes.” The way Pepper smiled at him almost looked as if she was suppressing a grin. ”He agreed to do the speech.” 

Tony nodded. ”Okay.” 

”He also asked whether he can get involved in the organizational aspect of it all.”

Tony raised his eyebrows in surprise. ”What?” 

”He wants to take on responsibility for the organization of the event.”

Tony scoffed. ”He’s _sixteen_.”

Pepper rolled her eyes. ”I know that and he knows that. He won’t plan every little thing and he will certainly not be the one responsible on-site, but he wants to share his ideas, Tony. For example, on the prices for the tickets, which he thinks are too high. Also, I don’t think it can hurt to have a teenager’s perspective on the organization of an event intended for teenagers.”

Tony shook his head. ”He’s got school, Pepper.”

”I’m talking about two or three meetings per week tops, each not lasting longer than an hour. He gives input, Tony. That’s all. He _wants_ to do this. Something about it being ‘his thing’.”

Realization dawned and Tony groaned, burying his face in his hands. ”Right,” he said. ”His _thing_.”

”You know,” Pepper said, ”you can be really proud of him.”

”Yeah, I know. I am. Constantly.” He heaved a sigh. ”Okay, fine. He can do it.”

Pepper smiled. ”Great. He’ll be happy.” 

Silence entered the room. For a moment, Tony wondered whether he should address what had happened at the party yesterday, but he decided against it. They were comfortable around each other right now. He didn’t want to ruin that. Instead, he asked, ”Did you know that he has a crush on a girl?”

Pepper’s eyes widened. ”Does he?”

”Yeah. Wanna come for dinner tomorrow and tease him about it?”

She laughed. 

***

The weather had turned around lunch time. By the time Tony had picked Peter up from school, it had started to rain quite heavily. Tony had been worried that the weather wouldn’t let up while he drove them over to Queens, but the rain lightened by the time he parked in front of the cemetery. 

Originally, Tony had planned to take Peter to an exhibition at the Museum of Natural History, somehow start to broach the subject of Peter’s sudden admission the evening before and maybe talk about the expo.

But then he’d received the phone call. 

Peter had needed a while to decide on the headstone he wanted for May and the company Tony had hired had advised to wait until early spring to set it up. Tony had received the call that they would start the work last week already and while Peter had been at school today, he’d been informed that the headstone was set up and ready for them.

Now, Peter stood next to Tony under the umbrella, just looking at the headstone, not moving, his hands in the pockets of his dark windbreaker and his hair ruffled by the wind. 

”I like it,” he finally said softly. 

Tony nodded. ”It’s a good choice.” 

Where before only Ben’s grave had been marked, him and May now shared a headstone. The marble shimmered in the light of the setting sun, its beige color standing out against the green grass around the graves. The name _Parker_ sat in the middle, two conjoined wedding bands underneath and further down, it said _In loving memory of Ben & May_.

Peter stepped closer to the graves, away from the protection of the umbrella Tony held, and kneeled, setting the flowers down they’d bought on the way here. Tony was carrying the other bundle and stepped closer to hand them to Peter, but he shook his head. So Tony retreated again, letting him have a moment. 

Tony saw Peter’s lips move but he couldn’t hear him over the soft patter of the rain on his umbrella. The wind turned colder and Tony frowned at darker clouds approaching, glad he’d turned the collar of his coat up. Peter got up slowly. Wet grass clung to his dark jeans and he brushed it off. Tony stepped towards him, close enough that Peter was crowded under the umbrella with him. Peter’s cheeks were wet, but Tony wasn’t sure whether it was rain or tears. Peter took the second bundle of flowers from Tony’s hand. 

”Do you have time?” he asked shakily.

Tony had expected the question, Peter always asked this when they came here. He always asked for a bit of time alone before they headed back. 

Tony had a conference call in an hour and a meeting with Pepper and the board at six. ”Yes,” he said. ”All the time you need. I’ll wait in the car.” 

He offered Peter the umbrella, but Peter said, ”I’d like to show you something.”

Tony paused, surprised. ”Sure.” 

They walked down the path for a few minutes, turning some corners, all the way to the other side of the cemetery. Peter finally stopped and turned to face two graves under one of the willows. He walked forward into the rain and brushed some dead leaves off the black headstone the graves shared, laying the flowers down. When he stepped back, Tony could see the inscription.

_Parker_ , it said at the top. _Richard Laurence_ was on the left and _Mary Teresa_ on the right.

_Beloved parents_

Their date of death was identical.

”My parents,” Peter said. He swallowed. ”This is Tony,” he added softly, as if making an introduction. Tony looked at him, unsure what he should say or do. It became clear to him that every time he’d left Peter at Ben and May’s graveside, he must have come here to see his parents. He’d never even hinted at this before.

Tony was aware of how much it meant that they were standing here together now. That Peter had decided to let him see this today. 

He cleared his throat gently. ”Thank you for showing me, Peter.” 

Peter looked up at him and smiled sadly. ”We can go now.” 

Tony put his free hand around Peter’s shoulders, pulling him against his side as the rain strengthened. They walked slowly, Peter looking at the ground with his hands buried in his pockets. By the time they left the graveyard through the tall gates, the sun was slowly peeking through the clouds again and the rain had lessened. 

”Are you okay?” Tony asked.

”I’m fine,” Peter answered. ”I’m … I’m okay.”

Tony folded the umbrella when the rain stopped. His car wasn’t far now. He draped his arm back around Peter’s shoulders and pulled him close to press a kiss into his hair. ”I love you,” he said softly, testing the words out. Peter’s steps faltered and he looked up at him. Tony smiled, pained. ”And I owe you an apology for yesterday.”

”No, you don’t,” Peter said. ”I … surprised you and I didn’t even give you a chance to answer.”

”That’s no reason for me not to.” Tony sighed. ”My father,” he said with a wince, ”never gave me a lot of support. Never mind showed any kind of affection. Breaking this cycle of shame … is hard for me.” He looked at him. ”I’m not going to lie, I’ve been way out of my comfort zone for almost a year where this stuff is concerned, all because of you. It started even before … before.” He smiled sadly. ”Anyway … it’s still hard for me to deal when new stuff comes up and sometimes I … just … let you leave instead of getting out of the car and running after you.”

”Don’t. It’s fine.”

”It’s not. Believe me I know. I’ve been waiting for him to say those words to me for years. It’s not fine.” Tony squeezed him closer. ”You’re my kid and I want to do better,” he whispered. He felt Peter curl closer. ”Okay?” 

Peter nodded.

”Good,” Tony said and pulled back. ”Why don’t we get dinner and you tell me all about Liz?”

Peter blushed. ”There’s nothing to tell.”

”I don’t believe you.”

” _Tony_.” 

”No, you _have_ to ask her out. I insist. But we need to figure out what to do with your hair first.” Tony brushed his fingers through Peter’s hair, spiking it up and flattening it.

”What’s wrong with my hair?” Peter asked, brushing Tony’s hands off. ”Stop that.”

”It’s boring.”

”I like it that way.”

”Listen to your old man,” Tony said. 

Peter looked up at him and grinned. ”Where’d be the fun in that?”

END  
November 2018


End file.
